Strasbourg will welcome Mainz 05 to Stade de la Meinau on Thursday for the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final showdown.
Le Racing will go all out to overturn their 2-0 deficit from the first leg, while Die Nullfunfer will be looking for defensive solidity in midweek as they seek to reach the semi-finals.
Strasbourg’s Recent Form and Home Struggles
Gary O’Neil has made Strasbourg tough to beat since taking the reins from Liam Rosenior back in January. He will need to find a way to turn the resilience his team have showed in recent months into a commanding victory.
Le Racing went into the first leg on the back of a 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions, including a 3-2 win over Nantes and a 3-1 triumph against Nice in their two outings prior.
O’Neil’s side recorded just five wins during that stretch. The Ligue 1 club have only come out on top in six of their 14 matches since their 2-1 loss against Paris Saint-Germain at the start of February.
The hosts have only won two of their last five home games, a disappointing spell that may be discouraging for fans heading to the ground, especially considering their 1-1 draw against Rijeka in the second leg of their round of 16 tie on March 19.
Further damaging to Strasbourg’s hopes could be the fact that they have only managed three clean sheets in 2026 so far.
If they fail to keep their opponents at bay, then they will need to score at least three goals to take the tie into extra time.
Mainz’s Transformation Under Urs Fischer
Mainz were in a relegation battle prior to the arrival of Urs Fischer in December, but the boss has turned the club into a serious threat on all fronts. They will be confident of reaching their first-ever European semi-final this week.
Die Nullfunfer went into the first leg with an extensive unbeaten run of their own. The Bundesliga side had won four on the bounce – including an impressive 2-1 victory over Champions League hopefuls Hoffenheim on April 4 – before downing Strasbourg 2-0 last Thursday.
Two goals in eight first-half minutes from Kaishu Sano and Stefan Posch has given Fischer’s men a lead to protect. After keeping four clean sheets across their last seven outings, Mainz will feel capable of doing so again.
Potential for a Heated Atmosphere
Posch, Armindo Sieb and Le Racing’s Diego Moreira were booked in a heated exchange during second-half stoppage-time.
The visitors look set to face an intense atmosphere on the road, where momentum could quickly change the complexion of the tie.
It remains to be seen whether Sunday’s 1-0 defeat against Freiburg at MEWA Arena will have any bearing on proceedings, given that Die Nullfunfer were unable to respond to Lucas Holer’s effort, which brought about the club’s first loss since a 4-0 thrashing by Borussia Dortmund in mid-February.