Mainz 05’s Conference League round of 16 tie with Sigma Olomouc is finely poised after a goalless first leg. The match takes place at Mewa Arena on Thursday. The first leg was one of only two round of 16 ties to end without a goal.
Mainz’s Recent Form
Mainz managed to keep their first clean sheet in five games in the first leg. They then scored twice without reply against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The club have only lost twice in their last 16 games, remaining undefeated in five matches.
Urs Fischer’s side did draw four times in that unbeaten stretch, scoring just six goals. They have only netted three times in their four most recent European clashes. There is an argument that Die Nullfunfer would be better served if they were eliminated from the Conference League given they are at risk of demotion from the Bundesliga, with just three points and three places separating them from the relegation zone.
Mainz will feel that they can get the better of the visitors considering they are unbeaten in seven fixtures at Mewa Arena. They have won five times in that period.
Sigma Olomouc’s European Journey
Sigma only produced one shot on target in the first leg, but they deserve credit for limiting Thursday’s hosts to two efforts on target. Tomas Janotka’s team had scored in their prior seven Conference League outings. Their clean sheet in the first leg was their first in any of their nine matches in the competition this season.
The Czech side are participating in the knockout stages of a European tournament for the first time since 2004-05. They did reach the semi-final of the Intertoto Cup before losing to German club Borussia Dortmund in 2005-06.
Sigma’s Form Coming Into The Match
Hanaci come into Thursday’s clash having triumphed in four and drawn three of their past seven matches in all competitions. They have scored two or more goals four of those games. Sigma’s fortunes on their travels has been mixed. They will be hoping to extend their winning streak on the road to four matches, but they have won two and lost two of their last four away fixtures in the Conference League.
Team News for Mainz
Mainz will be without centre-backs Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Stefan Bell. Fischer is set to turn to Danny da Costa, Stefan Posch and Dominik Kohr. The absence of defensive midfielder Nadiem Amiri because of a heel problem has thinned the hosts’ options, so Paul Nebel, Kaishu Sano and Jae-Sung Lee may have to be relied upon once again.
Phillip Tietz and Silas Katompa Mvumpa both started in advanced roles in the first leg. The duo will hope to retain their places in the XI.
With the first leg having ended goalless, Mainz 05’s home clash in the Conference League’s round of 16 with Sigma Olomouc at Mewa Arena on Thursday is finely poised.