Preview:Wolfsburg vs Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineups

In their second match of the Bundesliga season, Wolfsburg will host Mainz 05 on Sunday at Volkswagen Arena.

The Wolves began their league campaign on August 23 with a 3-1 triumph against Heidenheim and are fourth, while Mainz suffered a 1-0 defeat against newly-promoted FC Koln on the same date and are fifth last in 14th place.

Match preview

Wolfsburg have opened their 2025-26 season with two wins having also beaten Hemelingen 9-0 in the DFB-Pokal on August 16, whereas they had only won two of their final 13 games of 2024-25.

Head coach Paul Simonis will be pleased that his side managed to restrict Heidenheim to just one effort from inside the box in each half, with only one of those shots on target.

The hosts had failed to score three or more goals in a single match since January 14, when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 5-1.

Simonis only took charge of the club in June after the end of 2024-25, and he inherited a side that had lost six, drawn three and triumphed in just one of their last 10 Bundesliga outings.

The Wolves' 5-1 victory against Gladbach was one of only three league wins at home last term, and failure to claim three points on Sunday would set a club record for the longest winless run at Volkswagen Arena in their Bundesliga history (nine).

Mainz's defeat against FC Koln can perhaps be explained by the fact they were reduced to 10 men in the 60th minute when the score was 0-0, and they should be credited for holding out until the 90th minute.

Karnevalsverein managed to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Rosenborg to qualify for the Conference League, emerging as 4-1 victors in the second leg on Thursday.

Bo Henriksen's side have a mixed record against Wolfsburg having lost one and won one of their four most recent clashes, and they were held to a 2-2 stalemate in April and beaten 4-3 in December 2024 last season.

The visitors' record this term has room for improvement considering they have been defeated in two and triumphed in two of their four games, scoring six times while conceding four.

Mainz won eight Bundesliga fixtures away from home last season, and that was their most in the top-flight since 2010/11, while the 31 goals they netted on their travels was a new club record.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

Wolfsburg form (all competitions):

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:

Mainz 05 form (all competitions):

Team News

Wolfsburg were forced to deal with a number of injury problems last term, and with centre-back Denis Vavro on the club's current absentee list, Moritz Jenz and Konstantinos Koulierakis can be considered as the leading candidates to play in the middle of a back four.

New signing Vinicius Souza has settled into life in midfield well alongside Maximilian Arnold, and the duo will likely be selected together on Sunday.

Forwards Andreas Skov Olsen and Patrick Wimmer could be set to flank centre-forward Mohamed El Amine Amoura.

Mainz attacker Paul Nebel was sent off against FC Koln, while striker Benedict Hollerbach was forced off, so perhaps Armindo Sieb and Nelson Weiper will come into the XI.

Midfield stalwarts Kaishu Sano and Nadiem Amiri can be expected to partner each other, while Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene could start as wing-backs.

Henriksen has frequently utilised a back three, with Danny da Costa, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Dominik Kohr often chosen in the XI, and they may feature on the weekend.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Grabara; Fischer, Jenz, Koulierakis, Zehnter; Arnold, Souza; Olsen, Majer, Wimmer; Amoura

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:

Zentner; Da Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr; Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Sieb, Lee; Weiper

We say: Wolfsburg 2-1 Mainz 05

Wolfsburg's home record is far from perfect, but they have started the campaign in strong fashion, and they will be confident on Sunday.

Mainz failed to beat the Wolves last term, and they are heading to Volkswagen Arena on the back of a European game, so perhaps they could struggle to impose themselves on their hosts.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.