LOOK AHEAD: FSV Mainz 05

Three days after the Bundesliga away game in Mainz the lads face the 05ers again. This time at home in the DFB-Pokal cup competition. Here’s another LOOK AHEAD on FSV Mainz 05:

THE TEAM

Mainz have ended their losing streak – unfortunately against VfL of all clubs. After things didn’t run that well for Bo Svensson and his team before and shortly after the winter break, they managed to win against Bochum. Annoying for us, good for Mainz as they have scored decent 27 points up to now, with only a three points deficit to the European qualification spots. A key player of their balanced squad is forward Jonathan Burkardt. Even though he wasn’t able to score against us, he caused some trouble among the VfL defence. But the decider was scored by another player that surprisingly found himself back in the starting line-up in the last match. It was Jeremiah St. Juste – quick like a shot and with 36,63 km/h paciest player in the current season – who scored the winner shortly after the break. Numerous positive Corona tests had decimated the Mainz squad, but before the cup tie almost all players will be fit and available.

THE HEAD COACH

Bo Svensson is very familiar with Mainz’s Bruchweg stadium as he played for the club between 2007 and 2014. Svensson and Mainz make a good match and he’s already being compared to his famous predecessors Jürgen Klopp und Thomas Tuchel. The Dane took over in Mainz at the beginning of 2021 in a quite difficult phase and, saved the 05ers from relegation. Since then he racked up 16 impressive victories out of 38 games. This change definitely paid off. For seven years the former defender was a professional player in Mainz before he took his first steps as a coach as well as of 2014. In 2019 he moved to Austria, where Svensson became a professional head coach at FC Liefering.

THE RECORD

There have been 17 fixtures between both clubs so far. VfL count six wins including the last home game. The first leg match – Bochum’s first home victory after 11 years – Gerrit Holtmann’s wonder goal was the start into a historic match. While Holtmann was sidelined and therefore not able to play against his former club in the league, he might be able to return on the pitch for the cup clash against Mainz. A crowd of 750 supporters, who are allowed inside the stadium according to the current Corona restrictions, are surely looking forward to another incredible solo run by Holtmann.