“It was very important for our group that we got off to a good start”
The opening weekend of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season saw 1. FSV Mainz 05 pick up an away win on Matchday 1: this is the first time the Zerofivers have ever began a season in the top flight with a victory on the road, having never achieved this in their 16 previous Bundesliga campaigns. Therefore, yesterday’s 2-1 win in front of 24,000 away at VfL Bochum could be a sign that Bo Svensson’s side are working hard to shake off what was one of their weak points of the previous season and to improve on their record of having the second-worst away record in the league in 2021/22. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but picking up three points gives you a good boost and we know what we need to improve on. It’s a very good position for the coach to be in,” commented Martin Schmidt after full time. “The work doesn’t stop here, but three points on the road certainly gives you a real push going into the new season.”