The much-anticipated return of the Bundesliga brings with it a host of enticing matchups central to our Win and Goals Boost’s for Saturday. Mainz’s clash with bottom-of-the-table Bochum serves as a focal point for Saturday’s action with the home side poised to deliver a decisive victory.

Currently sitting 5th in the league, Mainz have undergone a resurgence this season, with their recent performances – particularly at home – driving their impressive climb up the table. They have emerged victorious in 5 of their last 6 games, with their only blemish being a 94th-minute defeat in a 7-goal thriller at Wolfsburg.

At the Mewa Arena, Mainz are starting to turn their home ground into a fortress, stringing together a 3-game winning streak that includes high-profile victories over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Facing a struggling Bochum side, Mainz will be confident of extending that streak to 4 straight wins.

For Bochum, this season has been a nightmare, as the team narrowly avoided relegation last year but now seems destined for a return to the second division after 4 seasons in the Bundesliga. Their struggles are stark: they possess the league’s 2nd-worst attack, averaging just 0.87 goals per game, and the 2nd-worst defence, conceding a dismal 2.33 goals per match.

Their away form has epitomised these woes, as Bochum have managed just a single point on the road all season – a rare bright spot in their most recent outing against Union Berlin. Before that, they endured a horrific streak of 9 consecutive away losses in all competitions, scoring only 7 goals while conceding 22.

History also firmly favours Mainz in this clash. The home side are unbeaten in their last 4 meetings with Bochum, winning 3 of those encounters. At the Mewa Arena, Mainz’s dominance is even more pronounced, as they have not lost a league match to Bochum on home soil since their meeting in the second Bundesliga back in 1999.

This longstanding record underscores the strength of Mainz’s home form and the challenge Bochum face in overcoming their dreadful away performances.

The Bundesliga spotlight remains firmly fixed as Bayern Munich, the league leaders, take centre stage against Borussia Mönchengladbach to round off our Win Boost double. With Munich in imperious form, all signs point to a comfortable victory for the away side over Die Fohlen.

While Mönchengladbach have found some solace at home, collecting two-thirds of their league points at Borussia Park, their performances against stronger opposition have been less than convincing. Of the 8 teams they’ve faced at home, 4 are ranked lower in the table, and their results against higher-calibre sides highlight their struggles.

A draw against Dortmund and a loss to Leverkusen underscore the gulf in quality when facing the league’s elite. The arrival of a team of Bayern Munich’s calibre is an entirely different challenge, one that Gladbach seem ill-equipped to meet.

Bayern Munich, on the other hand, enter this clash as the Bundesliga’s most dominant force, with only one blemish marring their campaign – a rare defeat to Mainz in mid-December. Prior to that, their away form had been near-flawless, amassing 17 points from a possible 21.

Munich boast the league’s best defence, conceding just 1.13 goals per game, a testament to their solidity at the back. This defensive strength is complemented by a league-leading attack which has seen them score an extraordinary 25 goals in just 8 away games, averaging a staggering 3.13 goals per match.

The return of Harry Kane, the league’s leading goal scorer, only adds to Bayern’s firepower. Kane’s presence in the front line will undoubtedly bolster an already devastating attack, ensuring that Munich’s offensive threat remains unmatched.

History also favours the visitors in this matchup, with Bayern emerging victorious in both league fixtures against Mönchengladbach last season. As they look to cement their position at the top of the table, a repeat of those results seems not only plausible but highly likely.