FSV Mainz 05 - SC Paderborn 07 live - Football

FSV Mainz 05 host SC Paderborn 07 on Saturday, 29 August 2026 in the opening matchday of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season at the MEWA Arena in Mainz. The clash marks Urs Fischer's first competitive home game as a full-season Mainz head coach, while Paderborn return to the Bundesliga for the first time since 2019/20 after sealing promotion through a dramatic play-off victory over Wolfsburg. In six all-time meetings between the sides, Mainz have never lost - four wins and two draws - including a 2-0 victory in their last Bundesliga encounter back in February 2020.

Match Info: FSV Mainz 05 vs SC Paderborn 07

FSV Mainz 05 take on SC Paderborn 07 on Saturday, 29 August 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 13:30 UTC (14:30 BST) at the MEWA Arena in Mainz. The game is Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season.

Where to Watch FSV Mainz 05 vs SC Paderborn 07?

Viewers in the USA can watch on Peacock, while Canadian fans have 3 options: DAZN, fuboTV Canada, and OneSoccer. In Australia the game is available on beIN Sports Connect Australia, and in New Zealand on beIN Sports Connect New Zealand.

In Germany and Austria, the match is broadcast on Sky Sport Bundesliga 5 (TV), with online streaming available via Sky Go Deutschland and WOW. Switzerland also carries the game on Sky Sport Bundesliga 5. Greek and Cypriot viewers can watch on Nova Sports 5, and fans in Turkey can tune in to S Sport+.

Across Asia, DAZN covers Japan, while beIN Sports Connect serves Malaysia and Singapore. South Korea has the match on Coupang Play. In Latin America, Disney+ carries the broadcast across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland - are all covered by Viaplay.

Match between FSV Mainz 05 and SC Paderborn 07 - Preview

The opening-day meeting of FSV Mainz 05 and SC Paderborn 07 sets up one of Bundesliga Matchday 1's most intriguing storylines: an established mid-table regular welcoming a freshly promoted side back to the top flight after a six-year absence.

Mainz head into 2026/27 in considerably better shape than this time a year ago. After spending the first half of 2025/26 rooted to the bottom of the table, Urs Fischer's arrival in December 2025 sparked a dramatic turnaround that lifted the club all the way to 10th place. Now, with a full pre-season behind him, Fischer has continued to build momentum: Mainz won 4 of their last 5 pre-season and cup fixtures, capped by a 2-1 win over Premier League side Bournemouth, and then hammered fifth-tier Krieschow 9-0 in the DFB Cup first round to open the competitive calendar in style.

Paderborn's story is one of persistence rewarded. Coached by the 39-year-old Ralf Kettemann, the club strung together an eight-match winning run from September to November 2025 and a ten-game unbeaten run in the spring of 2026 to finish third in Bundesliga 2. After beating Wolfsburg 2-1 in the play-off, Paderborn secured their return to the Bundesliga for the first time since 2019/20. On their 2 previous top-flight spells (2014/15 and 2019/20), they were relegated both times - making this third attempt all the more significant.

Head-to-Head: FSV Mainz 05 vs SC Paderborn 07

History is firmly in Mainz's favour. In 6 meetings since 2007 - spanning both the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga - Mainz have won 4 and drawn 2, never losing to Paderborn and outscoring them 18 goals to 5. The biggest of those victories came in April 2008, a 6-1 romp in the second division that remains the most one-sided result in this fixture.

Here is the complete head-to-head record between the two clubs:

• 29 Feb 2020 - Bundesliga - FSV Mainz 05 2-0 SC Paderborn 07
• 05 Oct 2019 - Bundesliga - SC Paderborn 07 1-2 FSV Mainz 05
• 31 Jan 2015 - Bundesliga - FSV Mainz 05 5-0 SC Paderborn 07
• 24 Aug 2014 - Bundesliga - SC Paderborn 07 2-2 FSV Mainz 05
• 15 Apr 2008 - 2. Bundesliga - FSV Mainz 05 6-1 SC Paderborn 07
• 04 Nov 2007 - 2. Bundesliga - SC Paderborn 07 1-1 FSV Mainz 05

FSV Mainz 05 - Recent Form

Mainz arrive at Matchday 1 in strong shape, winning 4 of their last 5 matches across pre-season and the DFB Cup, and conceding only 3 goals in that span.

The pre-season run was a statement of intent. After a 1-0 win over Shabab Al Ahli and a dominant 4-0 rout of Paris FC, the campaign peaked with a 2-1 victory against Bournemouth. Only a 3-3 draw with Udinese interrupted the winning run. Then came the DFB Cup: a trip to fifth-tier VfB 1921 Krieschow that ended in a staggering 9-0 away victory, sending an unmistakable signal ahead of the new Bundesliga season.

Central to Mainz's threat is captain Nadiem Amiri, who contributed 12 goals and 2 assists in the Bundesliga alone during 2025/26. The 29-year-old confirmed his commitment to the club this summer and arrives at the new campaign as Fischer's most dangerous attacking weapon.

SC Paderborn 07 - Recent Form

Paderborn arrive at their Bundesliga opener with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 defeat from their last 5 matches - a mix that reflects a side still finding its top-flight footing but full of competitive spirit.

Pre-season brought a 3-1 win over Japanese side Fagiano Okayama and a 2-0 victory over VfL Osnabrück, before a 2-2 stalemate with Werder Bremen provided a more searching test. More importantly, the DFB Cup first round showed real character: Paderborn visited Phönix Lübeck and came away with a 4-2 win, demonstrating the attacking quality they will need throughout the season.

Much of Paderborn's promotion success rested on goalkeeper Dennis Seimen, a Stuttgart loanee who kept 9 clean sheets in 2025/26 and earned his first 4 Germany Under-21 caps along the way. Now in the Bundesliga, the shot-stopper will face a much stiffer test - and his form could prove decisive in whether Paderborn survive their third top-flight season.

Facts and Statistics

FSV Mainz 05 and SC Paderborn 07 have faced each other 6 times since 2007, with their rivalry spanning two divisions and three separate spells of Paderborn's top-flight football. The historical balance between the clubs could hardly be more one-sided, yet Paderborn's return to the Bundesliga gives the fixture renewed significance entering the 2026/27 season.

• Mainz have never lost to Paderborn in 6 all-time meetings: 4 wins and 2 draws.
• The aggregate score across all 6 H2H meetings is 18-5 in favour of Mainz.
• Mainz's biggest win over Paderborn was a 6-1 victory in the 2. Bundesliga on 15 April 2008.
• Paderborn return to the Bundesliga for the first time since 2019/20 - the season in which Mainz beat them 2-0 in what proved to be the last competitive meeting between the clubs.
• Nadiem Amiri scored 12 Bundesliga goals in 2025/26, making him one of the most productive midfielders in the division last season.