The first of two big matches for 1. FSV Mainz 05 is next weekend on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST), when the Zerofivers host FC Bayern Munich at the MEWA ARENA. “Everything has to go right, but it is possible,” said goalkeeper Robin Zentner, looking ahead to the “special” match with the German record champions and another chance to pick up points against FCB. There is a big game for FSV’s U19s a few hours later on Sunday at 11:00 (CEST), as they face Borussia Dortmund in the final for the German championship.
“We hope that the boys can top off their season,” said Zentner, also looking forward to this match which he and his teammates will watch in the stadium. The focus, however, is on their own match against FCB, where they have the opportunity to remain unbeaten for the tenth game in a row.
Full of confidence and good memories
FSV have never managed this in the space of a season. The Zerofivers set the club record of nine consecutive games unbeaten last weekend with a 1-1 draw in Cologne. “We have a lot of confidence from the last few games because we are solid as a team,” said Zentner about the recent run of success. “We know what we can do, even against really good sides. Why shouldn’t we be able to get something against Bayern again?” he added.
We shouldn’t we be able to get something against Bayern again?
In the past couple of years, Mainz have looked good at home against Bayern, apart from the recent 4-0 defeat in the DFB-Pokal round of 16. In April 2022, the Zerofivers won 3-1 at home against FCB, who had already been crowned German champions, and almost exactly a year earlier they postponed Bayern’s title-winning celebrations with a 2-1 win that was important in the relegation battle. Now the league leaders are coming to Rheinhessen in April once again, possibly a good omen for another FSV win.
Different situation, similar group
The current situation can’t be compared with the one two years ago, when the Zerofivers kept their place in the league after a miserable first half of the season. “It felt like every game was a final. Now it’s about getting the most from the season. We have worked hard for it and want to reward ourselves,” said Zentner on the team’s development since that time. “We have a great squad this year as well and everyone knows their role.”
We have a great squad this year as well and everyone knows their role.
This is also helped by the team’s chemistry and especially defensive stability that the Zerofivers have shown recently. Svensson has played with the same three players at the back eleven times in a row, with the Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Edimilson Fernandes playing either side of Stefan Bell. The 31-year-old from the Mainz’s academy also celebrated a milestone in Cologne when he made his 250th Bundesliga appearance for FSV. “It’s nice to see that,” said Zentner, who gets along well with Bell off the pitch. “He consistently plays well and has a key role in an important position. I like him as a person and a footballer. Now he’s played 250 Bundesliga games for Mainz 05, which doesn’t happen often. It shows that it’s not always about athleticism and speed, but also tactical understanding, vision and strong tackling.”
Going into the final stretch with a positive feeling
The recent successes have lifted the team’s spirits and made some things easier, but “nothing has changed in training, there is no drop in intensity,” explained Zentner. They have fun and there is a positive environment, but they still have to try and get better every day according to the 28-year-old.
“Special desire” against Tuchel’s Bayern
The league leaders Bayern Munich are now coming to Mainz and with them the return of former manager Thomas Tuchel, who worked at FSV from 2008 to 2014. Zentner knows Tuchel through training in the past, has heard “only heard positive things” from his teammates and remembers the former Zerofiver’s head coach as “a very nice person”, even though there was hardly any direct contact between himself and Tuchel at the time.
That’s the desire in this game, to be able to get the most from it as a team.
Tuchel has been Julian Nagelsmann’s successor at the German record champions since the end of March. The results so far have been mixed, as a decisive victory against rivals for the Bundesliga title Dortmund was followed by a cup exit against SC Freiburg, who they then beat in the league a few days later. They are 3-0 behind against Manchester City in the Champions League following the first leg and will play the second leg in the quarter-final this Wednesday (21:00 CEST) with an outside chance of progressing. In the league, they most recently drew 1-1 at home to TSG Hoffenheim. “They are very difficult to beat in any situation and are still a top side. It’s a special game because we get to test ourselves against one of the best teams in Europe. That’s the desire, to be able to get the most from it as a team,” said Zentner, aware of the challenge of remaining unbeaten for a third Bundesliga home game in a row against Bayern.
The first of two big matches for 1. FSV Mainz 05 is next weekend on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST), when the Zerofivers host FC Bayern Munich at the MEWA ARENA. “Everything has to go right, but it is possible,” said goalkeeper Robin Zentner, looking ahead to the “special” match with the German record champions and another chance to pick up points against FCB. There is a big game for FSV’s U19s a few hours later on Sunday at 11:00 (CEST), as they face Borussia Dortmund in the final for the German championship.
“We hope that the boys can top off their season,” said Zentner, also looking forward to this match which he and his teammates will watch in the stadium. The focus, however, is on their own match against FCB, where they have the opportunity to remain unbeaten for the tenth game in a row.
Full of confidence and good memories
FSV have never managed this in the space of a season. The Zerofivers set the club record of nine consecutive games unbeaten last weekend with a 1-1 draw in Cologne. “We have a lot of confidence from the last few games because we are solid as a team,” said Zentner about the recent run of success. “We know what we can do, even against really good sides. Why shouldn’t we be able to get something against Bayern again?” he added.
We shouldn’t we be able to get something against Bayern again?
In the past couple of years, Mainz have looked good at home against Bayern, apart from the recent 4-0 defeat in the DFB-Pokal round of 16. In April 2022, the Zerofivers won 3-1 at home against FCB, who had already been crowned German champions, and almost exactly a year earlier they postponed Bayern’s title-winning celebrations with a 2-1 win that was important in the relegation battle. Now the league leaders are coming to Rheinhessen in April once again, possibly a good omen for another FSV win.
Different situation, similar group
The current situation can’t be compared with the one two years ago, when the Zerofivers kept their place in the league after a miserable first half of the season. “It felt like every game was a final. Now it’s about getting the most from the season. We have worked hard for it and want to reward ourselves,” said Zentner on the team’s development since that time. “We have a great squad this year as well and everyone knows their role.”
We have a great squad this year as well and everyone knows their role.
This is also helped by the team’s chemistry and especially defensive stability that the Zerofivers have shown recently. Svensson has played with the same three players at the back eleven times in a row, with the Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Edimilson Fernandes playing either side of Stefan Bell. The 31-year-old from the Mainz’s academy also celebrated a milestone in Cologne when he made his 250th Bundesliga appearance for FSV. “It’s nice to see that,” said Zentner, who gets along well with Bell off the pitch. “He consistently plays well and has a key role in an important position. I like him as a person and a footballer. Now he’s played 250 Bundesliga games for Mainz 05, which doesn’t happen often. It shows that it’s not always about athleticism and speed, but also tactical understanding, vision and strong tackling.”
Going into the final stretch with a positive feeling
The recent successes have lifted the team’s spirits and made some things easier, but “nothing has changed in training, there is no drop in intensity,” explained Zentner. They have fun and there is a positive environment, but they still have to try and get better every day according to the 28-year-old.
“Special desire” against Tuchel’s Bayern
The league leaders Bayern Munich are now coming to Mainz and with them the return of former manager Thomas Tuchel, who worked at FSV from 2008 to 2014. Zentner knows Tuchel through training in the past, has heard “only heard positive things” from his teammates and remembers the former Zerofiver’s head coach as “a very nice person”, even though there was hardly any direct contact between himself and Tuchel at the time.
That’s the desire in this game, to be able to get the most from it as a team.
Tuchel has been Julian Nagelsmann’s successor at the German record champions since the end of March. The results so far have been mixed, as a decisive victory against rivals for the Bundesliga title Dortmund was followed by a cup exit against SC Freiburg, who they then beat in the league a few days later. They are 3-0 behind against Manchester City in the Champions League following the first leg and will play the second leg in the quarter-final this Wednesday (21:00 CEST) with an outside chance of progressing. In the league, they most recently drew 1-1 at home to TSG Hoffenheim. “They are very difficult to beat in any situation and are still a top side. It’s a special game because we get to test ourselves against one of the best teams in Europe. That’s the desire, to be able to get the most from it as a team,” said Zentner, aware of the challenge of remaining unbeaten for a third Bundesliga home game in a row against Bayern.