This Mainz team have gone further than any before by reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League. - © IMAGO/Gerhard Schultheiß

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Mainz vs. Strasbourg: UEFA Conference League quarter-final LIVE blog and team news

01.04.2026

Mainz host Strasbourg of France in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CEST).

Mainz’s long-awaited return to European competition now sees them take on a team from an eighth different nation, after fixtures against Omonoia Nicosia, Zrinjski Mostar, Fiorentina, Universitatea Craiova, Lech Poznań and Samsunspor in the league phase.

Urs Fischer’s side then beat Sigma Olomouc 2-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 as their fifth campaign in UEFA competition takes them into the last eight for the first time ever.

Strasbourg, whose only previous continental quarter-final was in the 1979/80 European Cup, topped this season’s league phase with five wins and a draw under Liam Rosenior. Gary O’Neil took charge after Rosenior’s move to Chelsea, guiding his team to a 3-2 aggregate victory over Rijeka in the round of 16 to maintain Strasbourg’s unbeaten European record in 2025/26.

Follow the first leg below!

Mainz

Thu, 09.04 19:00

Strasbourg

Champions League
Quarter-finals, first leg Quarter-finals, first leg MEWA Arena

Mainz's route to the Conference League final

Should the German club get past Strasbourg, they will face either Rayo Vallecano or AEK Athens in the semi-final. Possible final opponents - if they make it that far - include Crystal Palace, Shakhtar, AZ Alkmaar and Fiorentina.

Amiri on target

The nine-time Germany international scored against both Omonia Nicosia and Samsunspor in the Conference League and is Mainz's top scorer in the competition with two goals.

Early Mainz team news

Captain Silvan Widmer was being examined after coming off at half-time in Mainz's win at Hoffenheim on Saturday due to breathing issues. There are hopes key playmaker Nadiem Amiri (pictured) might come off Urs Fischer's lengthy injury list soon as he continues to recover from a foot injury that has sidelined him since February.

Early Strasbourg team news

The Ligue 1 outfit are without midfielders Junior Mwanga and Diego Moreira plus striker Joaquín Panichelli, who are all carrying long-term injury issues. Defender Aarón Anselmino (pictured), who spent the first half of the season on loan to Dortmund from Chelsea before being loaned out to Strasbourg, recently returned from a hamstring injury to feature as a late substitute in the win over Nice.

Strasbourg win ahead of UECL match-up

Goals from Martial Godo, Julio Enciso and Samir El Mourabet secured Strasbourg a 3-1 victory over Nice on Saturday to keep the French outfit in European contention.

0:58

Hoffenheim 1-2 Mainz - highlights

Philipp Tietz scored twice against European hopefuls Hoffenheim as Mainz continue their upward trajectory under Urs Fischer, coming into Thursday's game against Strasbourg unbeaten in their last eight games (four wins, four draws) across all competitions.

Struggles against German opposition

Strasbourg have lost both of their previous two‑legged European ties against German clubs. They were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by Duisburg in the 1978/79 UEFA Cup third round, before losing 3-1 on aggregate to Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2019/20 Europa League play‑offs.

Saint-Étienne stalemate

Mainz's only previous European encounters with French opposition came in the 2016/17 Europa League group stage, when they drew both their games against Saint‑Étienne (1–1 at home, 0–0 away).

Unblemished record

League phase winners Strasbourg are unbeaten in their ten Conference League matches this season, triumphing in all five of their away games so far. The Ligue 1 outfit have also emerged victorious in six of their last eight two‑legged UEFA ties.

Tough nut to crack

Mainz, who are appearing in a European quarter-final for the very first time, are also the first German club to reach the last eight of the Conference League. The Zerofivers have lost only two of their last 12 UEFA competition matches (W7 D3) and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this UEFA Conference League quarter-final first leg between Mainz and Strasbourg.