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Mainz will round up Bundesliga matchday 21 under the lights on Karneval Sunday (19:30 CET), as they take on the challenge of Bayer Leverkusen. Bo Svensson’s side will play host to Europa League side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and, regardless of the opponents quality, will try “to play our game”, as the Zerofivers’ head coach made clear in his press conference two days before the game. “It will be a demanding task, which we are looking forward to taking on,” said the Dane. He will be able to call upon a number of players who were injured until recently.
“I am the coach of Mainz 05, so you go with them, and I will enjoy going with them,” said Svensson, making absolutely clear that he would be on the club’s float on Shrove Monday, but without wanting to give anything away about his costume. He added, however, that that until then the focus would be fully on the sporting challenge of the evening before.
Learning from the game earlier in the season
Svensson said that what awaits his team in Leverkusen are “a top-five team in the league that had a difficult start to the season”, which is reflected by the current table. Only one point separates the two teams ahead of the meeting, with Leverkusen on 27 points and the Zerofivers having picked up 26. Leverkusen’s impressively demonstrated one of their greatest strengths in their 3-0 win earlier in the season, which Svensson was keen to point out: “Alongside a lot of individual quality, they bring a rapid tempo. We saw that then, when two counters decided a game that really we had dominated. It will be a demanding task, which we are looking forward to taking on.”
What will it come down to? “If Diaby or Frimpong get away from you, for example, it is very difficult. You have to try to not give them any space to run into, but at the same time not allow give up lots of space in front of the back four. It’s complicated.” Svensson stated that you definitely can’t give the ball away too easily in dangerous areas or miss key challenges, with space in transition the logical conclusion. If this happens, then “it will be difficult to put things right because the tempo is too high. The task is very varied. There are solutions, but you have to implement them on the pitch perfectly .”
It’s complicated
This should also include trying to put their own stamp on the game in Leverkusen. “We want to try to play our way, which won’t be easily,” said Svensson, suggesting that it is not enough just to tackle the opponents’ fast attackers. “We also want to cause them problems defensively. We are in the position to do that and also have to do that.”
Starting eleven not set in stone
Alongside the support of around 1,000 Mainz fans in the ground against Leverkusen, Svensson will also be able to rely on several players who have until recently been injured or had a short break. As well as regular number one Robin Zentner, captain Silvan Widmer, Dominik Kohr and Delano Burgzorg were all able to participate in all of team training this week.
The head coach made clear, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean that he has to make changes to the starting eleven from the recent win against Augsburg. Although he has plenty options for the game on Sunday, at the end of the day it comes down to his “impressions from training, no one will be given anything for free.” For the coach himself, this also means that he has to think more about a few tight calls. “But I like having to make these,” underlined Svensson, whose anticipation for the celebrations on Shrove Monday in Mainz will no doubt be heightened by a good performance from his team.
This should also include trying to put their own stamp on the game in Leverkusen. “We want to try to play our way, which won’t be easily,” said Svensson, suggesting that it is not enough just to tackle the opponents’ fast attackers. “We also want to cause them problems defensively. We are in the position to do that and also have to do that.”
Starting eleven not set in stone
Alongside the support of around 1,000 Mainz fans in the ground against Leverkusen, Svensson will also be able to rely on several players who have until recently been injured or had a short break. As well as regular number one Robin Zentner, captain Silvan Widmer, Dominik Kohr and Delano Burgzorg were all able to participate in all of team training this week.
The head coach made clear, however, that this doesn’t necessarily mean that he has to make changes to the starting eleven from the recent win against Augsburg. Although he has plenty options for the game on Sunday, at the end of the day it comes down to his “impressions from training, no one will be given anything for free.” For the coach himself, this also means that he has to think more about a few tight calls. “But I like having to make these,” underlined Svensson, whose anticipation for the celebrations on Shrove Monday in Mainz will no doubt be heightened by a good performance from his team.
