After earning a point in Freiburg last time out, the aim for this coming Saturday will be to secure the first home win of the season against Borussia Dortmund (kick-off 15:30 CET). Head coach Bo Henriksen will be pleased to have a fully-fit Jonny Burkardt back for the clash at the MEWA ARENA, which is close to being sold out.
In fact, the last time that Mainz won in front of their own fans was against BVB, who have only recorded one point on the road in the current campaign. From a statistical perspective at least, there could certainly be tougher potential challenges.
Head coach Bo Henriksen spoke in his press conference about...
...squad updates: “Jonny Burkardt is 99.9% fit. He will be back to face Dortmund after completing the full week of training. Moritz Jenz remains absent, as does Andreas Hanche-Olsen. We are hoping to have both players back following the international break.”
...the most recent clash with BVB: “That was a great day for us but the game this weekend is a completely different one. Dortmund’s starting line-up won’t be the same as in May. We need to give it our all and believe in ourselves. If we do that, then we have a chance of ensuring the points stay in Mainz.”
…the opponent’s injury problems: “Despite a number of absentees, Dortmund still have a strong pool of players at their disposal and have won their last two matches. We feel well prepared though, just concentrating on ourselves and how we are going to go about things.”
…Dortmund’s individual quality: “When playing against a team like this with such a strong squad, we cannot afford to concentrate on individual players. We have respect for BVB but we do not fear them. We need to defend well but also be brave on the ball in order to find the way to goal, where we then need more quality in the final third.”
…the hope for a first win at home: “The deciding factor for us will be whether we can deliver a good performance, then will we have a chance to get the three points. We may also need a little bit of luck on our side. On Saturday, we want to be fluid in our build-up play, paying no heed to how the previous home matches have gone.”