Wolfsburg vs Mainz: Bundesliga Prediction (31.08.2025)

On 31 August 2025 at 15:30 CEST, the second-round Bundesliga match between Wolfsburg and Mainz will take place. Bookmakers see the teams as fairly equal in strength, giving only a slight edge to the hosts due to home advantage. Let’s look at both sides’ current form and provide our prediction.

Wolfsburg

Last season was disappointing for the “Wolves.” They finished mid-table, far from the relegation zone, but never challenged for European places. The spring run was especially poor – Wolfsburg won only once in the final 10 rounds. It wasn’t surprising when the club changed managers in early summer. New head coach Paul Simons, formerly of Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles, took over.

Pre-season under Simons was shaky, with 4 defeats in 5 matches. However, the season began on a strong note: a 9:0 German Cup win against Oberliga side Gmelingen, followed by an impressive 3:1 away victory over Heidenheim in the Bundesliga opener.

Mainz

Bo Henriksen, who arrived a year and a half ago, brought Mainz back to European competition for the first time since 2016/17. Under the Dane, the team prioritized defensive discipline: last season Mainz ranked in the Bundesliga’s top 3 for defensive reliability (43 goals conceded). In pre-season, they allowed just 4 goals in 5 matches, winning 4 of them.

But the new campaign has been rough. They scraped a narrow German Cup win over second-division Dresden, then lost away to Rosenborg in the Conference League qualifiers. Last weekend, they opened their Bundesliga season with a 0:1 loss to newly promoted Cologne. They now approach this fixture after a demanding return leg against Rosenborg.

Head-to-head statistics

In their last five meetings, Wolfsburg hold a slight edge: 2 wins to Mainz’s 1, with 2 draws. Four of those 5 matches saw over 2.5 goals.

Prediction

For Wolfsburg vs Mainz, the hosts look slightly stronger thanks to an easier schedule and confident start. However, the visitors remain capable of a strong showing given their higher recent status. We’ll side with the head-to-head trend and suggest a bet on Over 2.5 goals at odds 1.76.