A 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on matchday six was only their second defeat this season and first on their travels after three straight wins.
Mainz
Whilst Mainz have lost two of their last three in the Bundesliga; it’s still their joint-best points start to a league season after six games since 2010/11. A 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on matchday six was only their second defeat this season and first on their travels after three straight wins. Still, with just a solitary point from their two home games, coach Bo Svensson will swiftly want a return to the form of last season that saw Mainz ranked as the fourth best home side after collecting all but 11 of their 45-point haul at the Mewa Arena. The defeat last round was doubly painful, as the hosts also lost defender Alexander Hack to a red card and forward Jonathan Burkardt to injury.
Despite those significant absentees, Mainz have a good record at home to Hertha Berlin, having not lost any of the last seven meetings in which they also managed five clean sheets, giving Svensson and his side hope they can kick start their home league season here.
Hertha Berlin
Now two games undefeated, Hertha have redeemed themselves somewhat after a terrible start which saw them collect just one point over the first four rounds. Their 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen last weekend was their first game this season they didn’t lose after conceding first, but on the flip side, coach Sandro Schwarz won’t have been pleased that his team gave up a second-half lead to draw for a second time. It was still a much-improved performance, so much so that Schwarz – who meets his former club here – described the performance as “very satisfactory”. He’ll have been especially pleased with his substitution decisions as Marco Richter scored for the second week running from the bench for Hertha’s third such goal this season.
Karim Onisiwo is Mainz’s top scorer with three goals, but he is yet to score in ten league H2Hs, or at home this season. Suat Serdar netted the equaliser for Hertha last weekend, meaning that both of his league goals this season were the first for his team. Both games also saw him yellow-carded. Only two of the last eight H2Hs at Mainz saw both sides score.