Record against Mainz
Overall: 33 games. 13 wins, 8 draws, 12 defeats. 50:48 goal difference.
Looking back
Serhou Guirassy opened the scoring in a 1-1 draw with Mainz in this season’s reverse fixture. The teams played out a goalless draw at the MEWA Arena on Matchday 30 last term, but goals from Hiroki Ito and Borna Sosa earned VfB a 2-1 victory on home soil. Stuttgart are unbeaten in their past five encounters with the Zerofivers.
Coaching rivals
VfB boss Sebastian Hoeneß has faced Bo Svensson more often than any other coach in his young career. The tacticians will cross swords for the eighth time on Sunday, having faced each other on four occasions while in charge of Bayern Munich and Mainz’s Under-19 teams. Three of their meetings ended in draws, with Hoeneß emerging triumphant once while at Bayern.
In the Bundesliga, Svensson’s Mainz won all three games against TSG Hoffenheim during Hoeneß’s time in charge of the Sinsheim outfit.
Suspensions
Mainz will be without Andreas Hanche-Olsen, who serves a one-match ban on Sunday after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend.
Personnel
Konstantinos Mavropanos took full part in training on Friday after recovering from a shin injury. Saturday’s final training session will determine whether he can be involved in Mainz.
Svensson will also have to make do without injured duo Silvan Widmer (ankle) and Jonathan Burkhardt (knee surgery).