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RC Strasbourg Alsace vs. Mainz 05 preview: Team news and predicted lineups
TL;DR
Mainz 05 travels to RC Strasbourg Alsace aiming for a spot in the Conference League last four after winning the home leg. Strasbourg had a break over the weekend, while Mainz recently lost to Freiburg.
RC Strasbourg Alsace vs. Mainz 05 preview: Team news and predicted lineups
Mainz aim for a place in the Conference League last four when they make a short trip to Strasbourg. Urs Fischer's side won the home leg thanks to early goals from Kaishu Sano and Stefan Posch.
Strasbourg didn't play in the weekend as Ligue 1 accepted the requests of the teams still in Europe to boost their UEFA coefficient. Meanwhile, Mainz suffered a narrow defeat at home to Freiburg, who are also contesting a European quarter-final on Thursday with a game against Celta Vigo.
This is the first time in the history of Mainz that they have reached the knockout stages of a European competition. They knocked out Czechia side SK Sigma Olomouc 2-0 on aggregate in the previous round. It's also already the best performance by a German club in the short history of the Europa Conference League.
Team News
The big news for Mainz is that Nadiem Amiri returned to the side in the weekend’s game. The attacking midfielder is a potential candidate for a starting berth following a half-hour cameo against Freiburg. Anthony Caci also came back from a long-serving injury, but he's not named in the European squad like January signing Sheraldo Becker.
Predicted Lineups
Strasbourg: Penders; Doue, Omobamidele, Doukoure ©, Chilwell; El Mourabet, Barco; Yassine, Oyedele, Godo; Enciso
Mainz: Batz; da Costa, Posch, Kohr; Widmer ©, Sano, Mwene; Nebel, Kawasaki; Amiri, Tietz
Q&A
What is the significance of Mainz 05's performance in the Europa Conference League?
This is the first time Mainz 05 has reached the knockout stages of a European competition, marking their best performance in the history of the Europa Conference League.
Why did RC Strasbourg Alsace not play over the weekend?
Strasbourg did not play because Ligue 1 accepted requests from teams still competing in Europe to help improve their UEFA coefficient.
Who scored the early goals for Mainz in the home leg against Strasbourg?
Kaishu Sano and Stefan Posch scored the early goals for Mainz in their home leg against Strasbourg.