Three additional minutes as the hosts make a late triple change.

The 05ers are set to go fourth overnight at least. This will be their sixth win in their last seven games.

The Mainz striker makes way after his two goals for Armindo Sieb. Bochum make a double switch as Mašović finally replaces Ordets, and Boadu is on up front for Broschinski.

Bit of mayhem inside the Bochum box as Lee sees a shot blocked and then Burkardt races to get into the rebound. He tangles with Bero going for the ball and goes down. Brand waves away any shouts and the decision is quickly confirmed by VAR in Cologne.

As so often this game, two players go up for a ball and one comes out of it worse off. This time it's Burkardt on the receiving end against Passlack.

Bochum make a tactical switch for the second half as captain Losilla is replaced by the more attack-minded De Wit in central midfield. Hofmann has taken the armband for the away side.

Bochum have a free-kick wide on the left. Bero looks to bend it in, but it actually hits the back of referee Brand's head and goes behind. He restarts play with a drop ball at the sight of the free-kick, which Bero whacks high into the box on the bounce. Mainz keep their cool and come away with it, though.

No real surprise given the numerous stoppages that we'll have eight additional minutes.

Jenz and Hofmann this time going for a high ball and it's the Mainz defender who comes off worse coming in from behind.

Mainz are on the charge now. Caci twists and turns past Ordets on the right and flashes in a cross, which Passlack does very well to put over his own bar from only a few yards out.

You always felt this was going to be a slightly rough game. First foul comes after barely two minutes as Sano is penalised as he goes for a header with Bero. Wittek's free-kick into the box is flicked on and grasped by Zentner, though.

Teams are in the tunnel at the Mewa-Arena and about to get the new year under way.

Gerrit Holtmann, who spent four years with Mainz, starts on the bench today but will make his 100th competitive appearance for Bochum if he comes on.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, even with a three-week break, Bochum go with the same team that started their 2-0 victory at Heidenheim - their only win of the season - in the last game of 2024. Mainz, meanwhile, make two changes from the team that won 3-1 in Frankfurt in December as Jonathan Burkardt returns for Armindo Sieb and Moritz Jenz comes into the back three, with Dominik Kohr moving forward to replace the suspended Nadiem Amiri.

Zentner - Da Costa, Bell, Jenz - Caci, Sano, Kohr, Mwene - Nebel, Lee - Burkardt (c)

Rieß, Batz, Leitsch, Hanche-Olsen, Widmer, Barkok, Hong, Sieb, Weiper

Drewes - Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo - Passlack, Bero, Losilla (c), Sissoko, Wittek - Broschinski, Hofmann

Horn, Gamboa, Mašović, Medić, Daschner, De Wit, Boadu, Bamba, Holtmann

Dieter Hecking is unbeaten in his last seven Bundesliga games against Mainz (three wins, four draws).

On Thursday, the DFB's sports tribunal awarded Bochum a 2-0 win against Union Berlin following the Ruhr club's protest at the result of their Matchday 14 fixture that ended 1-1 following an injury to goalkeeper Patrick Drewes when hit by an object thrown from the crowd. Union have subsequently appealed the ruling, meaning the new result has not been added to the table yet.

Bochum have taken four points from the previous six available to them and will want to continue that positive from after the winter break, but it will be difficult to stop a confident Mainz side.

Bo Henriksen's men lie in fifth place having won five of their last seven, including a home win against table toppers Bayern Munich. They are just two points off Leipzig in fourth, and will aim to secure their spot in Europe now the winter break is over.

Mainz go into Matchday 16 on 25 points, above Borussia Dortmund on goal difference and looking like genuine European contenders. Bochum, meanwhile, are bottom of the standings with just six points to show for their efforts so far in 2024/25.

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 16 fixture between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and VfL Bochum 1848.