Winning end to training camp

1. FSV Mainz 05 ended their week-long training camp in Marbella with a 5-1 win in a friendly against Swiss first-division side FC Luzern. Leandro Barreiro opened the scoring early on (2’). Aarón doubled FSV’s advantage on the stroke of half-time (45’). After the break, Ben Bobzien scored from the spot (71’), with Jae-sung Lee (77’) and Karim Onisiwo (81’) adding to the scoreline later on. Samuele Campo got one back for Luzern (105’).

Still room for improvement

The Zerofivers only organised one friendly during training camp, choosing instead to focus on intense training sessions on the pitch and in the gym. Today’s match was therefore able to offer important insights into the team’s condition heading into the Bundesliga restart against VfB Stuttgart (21st January, 15:30 CET). “We had some issues winning the ball throughout the game. When we had possession, we weren’t precise enough and gave up space too easily. Our opponents managed to get behind our backline. Those are things that we definitely need to work on,” said head coach Bo Svensson, adding that he still sees “room for improvement” despite today’s big win.

Luzern dominant after FSV take early lead

The Zerofivers started in their usual 5-3-2 formation, and took an early lead from an Aarón corner. Barreiro was waiting at the back post and easily tapped in the opener.

Luzern went close in the minutes that followed, with chances for Pascal Schürpf (7’) and Sofyan Chader (28’). “If we look at the game, then we had real problems in the first 30 minutes. That was also the period in which the game had the most pace and the opponent was really strong. There were several things that I wasn’t happy with at all,” Svensson said.

Gaining confidence after going up 2-0

FSV looked more alert afterwards and began creating more chances for themselves. Bobzien, who had come on after Delano Burgzorg picked up a foot injury, sent a long ball through to Barreiro, who wasn’t able to connect fully with the ball (29’). Several minutes later, the young striker popped up once again in front of the Luzern defence to send Aarón through on goal, where he coolly made it 2-0 (45’).

The team were able to draw confidence from their lead, but were unable to add more goals before the first half — which lasted 60 minutes — came to an end. Aymen Barkok went close, but wasn’t able to make his chance count (48’).

Goals galore after the break

Svensson made wholesale changes at the break, switching to a 4-3-3 with several academy players getting a chance to feature. Mainz’s attackers continuously posed a threat due to their pace and link-up play, with Bobzien winning a penalty in the 71st minute. He stepped up to take it and extended FSV’s lead to 3-0.

Just six minutes later, Lee headed in a fourth following a cross from Onisiwo (77’). Not long after, Bobzien won a free-kick on the edge of the box, with Timothé Rupil sending it against the post. Onisiwo reacted quickly to bury the rebound and put the Zerofivers 5-0 up (81’). “It was a different game in the second half. Our opponents’ intensity dropped and we did a good job of taking up the space and managed to score some nice goals,” praised Svensson.

Luzern get one back

In the 85th minute, Finn Dahmen was forced into making a save following a dangerous free-kick before parrying a shot from Luuk Bredijk (90’). As the 120-minute-long match went into the closing stages, the Zerofivers recorded more chances through Angelo Fulgini (103’, 106’) and Brajan Gruda (110’) but we’re as clinical with them as they had been previously. Instead, it was Luzern who profited from a loss of possession from Lee to get one back through Samuele Campo (105’). In the closing minutes, the Zerofivers were able to celebrate Maxim Leitsch’s comeback. “I’m very happy that Leitschi was able to return to the pitch today. He could have even maybe played more today,” said Svensson.

In the end, it was a deserved 5-1 win for the Zerofivers due to their strong performance after the break.

Return to Mainz & friendly vs. Hoffenheim

The Zerofivers will return home on Wednesday ahead of their final friendly of the winter break on Saturday against TSG Hoffenheim (14:00 CET). A week later, the team will be back in action in the Bundesliga.

1. FSV Mainz 05 – FC Luzern 5-1

FSV XI first half: Zentner (C) – Aarón, Caci, Hack, Fernandes, da Costa – Barkok, Kohr, Barreiro – Invartsen, Burgzorg (19’ Bobzien)

FSV XI second half: Dahmen (107’ Rieß) – Mamutovic, Laux, Wilhelm, Widmer (C) – Lee, Rupil, Fulgini, Onisiwo (107’ Leitsch), Gruda, Bobzien (93’ Bierschenk)

Goals: 1-0 Barreiro (2’), 2-0 Aarón (45’), 3-0 Bobzien (71’), 4-0 Lee (77’), 5-0 Onisiwo (81’), 5-1 Campo (105’)