Omonia Nicosia vs Mainz 05 preview: Mainz out to make statement in Cyprus

21-time Cypriot champions Omonia head into this clash in blistering form, brimming with confidence after going four games unbeaten – scoring 14 goals without conceding a single one. Henning Berg’s side underlined their dominance at the weekend with a thumping 5-0 away victory at Anorthosis to stay top of the table on goal difference.

To reach this stage, Omonia battled through three qualifying rounds, conceding just once along the way. They saw off Torpedo Kutaisi (Georgia) and Araz (Azerbaijan) before edging past Wolfsberger AC (Austria) on penalties. Unlike Mainz, Omonia are no strangers to this competition: only last season they reached the league phase, claiming impressive wins over Rapid Vienna (Austria) and Víkingur (Iceland). Their run even took them into the knockout round, where they eventually bowed out to fellow Cypriot side Pafos FC.

At home, Omonia boast a magnificent record. They are chasing a seventh straight win and clean sheet, and remarkably, you’d have to go back to January 7th to find their last defeat in Nicosia – 19 matches unbeaten since. Mainz will also need to be wary of Willy Semedo, the Cape Verde international who has hit five goals in his first five appearances of the season.

Team news: 
Stevan Jovetić is the only confirmed injury so far, while Henning Berg otherwise has a fully fit squad. Mateo Marić is suspended following his red card against Wolfsberger.

Although Mainz have endured a tricky start to their domestic season, picking up only one win from their first four games leaving them 14th in the table, cup competitions have provided their best moments so far. With wins against Dynamo Dresden and Rosenborg to progress in the DFB-Pokal and Conference League respectively, Bo Henriksen will once again look towards their cup exploits for a response from his side. 

Last weekend brought fresh frustration with a 0-2 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund. Despite creating chances – most notably Paul Nebel’s first-half effort against the post – Mainz were punished by two ruthless counterattacks. To make matters worse, goalkeeper Robin Zentner was sent off and also picked up a possible shin injury in the same incident, compounding an already difficult afternoon for the 05ers.

If Omonia’s home form looks daunting, Mainz can take heart from their recent travels. They have lost just once in their last four competitive away games, and Henriksen will hope the creative spark of Nadiem Amiri – already with two goals in this competition – can make the difference again.