FC Schalke 04 vs 1. FSV Mainz 05 Prediction & Preview
Three away games in their last six, three away wins: that is 1. FSV Mainz 05's record on the road going into Saturday, and FC Schalke 04 have won neither of their two most recent home matches. Both clubs have done all of their winning somewhere other than their own ground, which makes the Bundesliga meeting at 14:30 BST on Saturday, 17 October 2026 a harder one to read than the table suggests. The full form picture and the call are below, and you can make your own on the Schalke 04 vs Mainz 05 match page.
- Fixture: FC Schalke 04 v 1. FSV Mainz 05
- Competition: Bundesliga
- Date: Saturday, 17 October 2026
- Kick-off: 14:30 BST
What time is kick-off for FC Schalke 04 vs 1. FSV Mainz 05?
FC Schalke 04 against 1. FSV Mainz 05 kicks off at 14:30 BST on Saturday, 17 October 2026, in the Bundesliga. It is an afternoon start for UK viewers, and predictions on CalledItMate close when the referee gets the game under way.
Does the away record hold up for Mainz 05?
Partly. The three wins are real and they were emphatic: 3-0 at SV Waldhof Mannheim, 4-3 at Borussia M'gladbach, 5-0 at Hamburger SV. But look at what happens either side of them. Mainz have taken 10 points from their last six, won 3, drew 1 and lost 2, and both defeats came at home - 1-3 to Eintracht Frankfurt and 3-4 to Bayer 04 Leverkusen seven days before this one.
So the travelling form is genuine and the rest of it is volatile. Urs Fischer's side have scored 16 and conceded 10 across those six games. That is a team winning shoot-outs, not controlling them.
FC Schalke 04's form: tight at the back, blunt at home
Schalke have conceded 5 goals in their last six matches and kept 3 clean sheets, which is the best thing about them right now. Miron Muslic's side have 11 points from those six - won 3, drew 2, lost 1 - and the defeat was 1-2 at SC Freiburg six days before this game.
The problem is at home. Both of Schalke's recent home fixtures finished 0-0, against SV 07 Elversberg and FC Bayern München, and they have won 0 of 2 there. Away from Gelsenkirchen they have won 3 of 4, including 3-1 at 1. FC Union Berlin. A promoted side that defends well and cannot break teams down in its own stadium is a recognisable type, and Schalke are it.
Will this be a high-scoring game?
Mainz have been involved in 3 or more goals in the game in 5 of their last 6, and have scored 2 or more in 4 of 6. Schalke have hit that 3-goal mark in 3 of 6 and failed to score in 2.
Those are two different kinds of football meeting each other. One side's games are open almost by default, the other's have twice ended goalless at home in a row. Something gives.
Team news
Schalke are without Moussa Sylla, ruled out indefinitely with a left leg injury picked up in the defeat at Freiburg, as reported by Yahoo Sports, and Dejan Ljubicic remains sidelined with a knee problem according to the match preview. For Mainz, Urs Fischer confirmed Paul Nebel is back in contention after a groin injury, while Robin Zentner, Dominik Kohr, Otto Ruoppi and Silas are all out, with Fischer saying "all other players are ready for the squad" via Rotowire.
FC Schalke 04 vs 1. FSV Mainz 05 prediction
Our prediction is a 1-2 away win for 1. FSV Mainz 05 against FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, 17 October 2026. Mainz have won all three of their recent away games and scored at least three goals in each of them, and Schalke have not scored in either of their last two home matches. The home defence is the better one - 5 conceded against 10 - so this should be tighter than Mainz's away scorelines have been, but a side that cannot create at home is the wrong opponent for a team in this mood.
Our prediction: FC Schalke 04 1-2 1. FSV Mainz 05
Make your prediction
Call the score on this one yourself on the Schalke 04 vs Mainz 05 match page. CalledItMate is a free football prediction game - no money goes in, and there are weekly cash prizes for the people who get closest. New here? Read how to play, then check the weekly leaderboard and the rest of the live match list.