Mainz 05 – Samsunspor

Mainz should easily beat the Turkish opponent at home.

Given that the group stage of the UEFA Conference League consists of only six rounds (unlike the eight in the Champions League and the Europa League), events here unfold much faster than in the 'older' tournaments. The match on the final matchday of the current round in Mainz will be quite notable and emblematic of the Conference League. On the one hand, clubs from the top eight of the group stage will meet here. On the other hand, such results in the Conference League do not prevent opponents from showing either mediocre or outright poor football on domestic grounds. Mainz finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season, matching the club's best result in 16.5 years in Germany's top flight. However, they could not sustain the success. The team collapsed so much that Bo Henriksen was dismissed as head coach and Urs Fischer was appointed to replace him. Samsunspor has not faced similar problems, but its form has been just as negative. The team finished third in the Süper Lig last year and is currently sixth. Bookmakers have made the home side the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.62 on their victory. After Urs Fischer took over the coaching position, Mainz have played only two games. In the first, the German side drew with Lech Poznań. In the second, they drew with Bayern Munich in Munich, becoming the third club this season not to lose to the German champions. Of course, Bayern underestimated the opponent, fielded not a full-strength squad, and were somewhat tired. At the same time, the positive impulse in Mainz connected with the coaching changes cannot be overlooked. The German club, before the final round of the group stage, sits in eighth place and risks slipping into the play-off zone if they do not win on Thursday. Samsunspor is currently in a form that makes it worth backing them 'while they're hot'. The team has not won any of its six matches since mid-November, and the last three have all been losses. Samsunspor's winless run could reach about a month and a half. Let's bet on the home team.