The final home game of the year awaits the 05ers on Saturday, with FC Bayern München the visitors to the MEWA ARENA (15:30 CET kick-off). It’s a quick reunion with the record champions, who knocked Bo Henriksen’s side out in the second round of the DFB-Pokal with a 4-0 win in Mainz just 45 days earlier.
The 05ers have found some form since that forgettable cup night though, picking up eight of a possible 12 Bundesliga points in the first four games following the team’s disappointing DFB-Pokal exit. However, last time out, FSV’s run of nine away games without defeat came to an end in Wolfsburg after a dramatic 4-3 loss at the death. Meanwhile, FC Bayern are still unbeaten in the league this season, dropping points just three times in draws against top sides. Their most recent match saw Vincent Kompany’s side comfortably see off Heidenheim with a 4-2 win.
In his pre-match press conference, head coach Bo Henriksen spoke about...
...team news for Saturday: “Danny da Costa has been back on the pitch briefly already and he wants to do a little more today too. Tomorrow’s game is too early for him, but we hope that he’s back to 100 percent next weekend. Otherwise, there aren’t any other absentees apart from Gabriel Vidovic. We’ve trained well and feel ready.”
...needing to change his backline: “We have three really good options for that position with Maxim Leitsch, Moritz Jenz and Andreas Hanche-Olsen. It’s obviously a difficult decision, but it’s one that we will make.”
...digesting the Wolfsburg game: “What’s clear is that we ought to have won that game when you watch it back and look at the statistics. That’s football though. Ultimately, I was happy with our performance in Wolfsburg. If we can produce that level against Bayern as well, I can sleep easy. We’re 100 percent mentally prepared for tomorrow’s game.”
...October’s cup loss to FC Bayern: “We’re in very different shape now compared to the cup game against Bayern. We were missing Jae-sung Lee and Jonny Burkardt back then, for example. We’re going into this game differently; we want to be courageous and have more of the ball. When Bayern are allowed to attack constantly, that’s when we start to have problems. They’re the best team in the league right now, but I have a lot of faith in my team. At the end of the day, it’s 11 against 11 out there and anything can happen.”
...what his side can’t afford to do against Bayern: “We absolutely have to make sure we don’t concede early on and ensure that we’re solid defensively. We need to be courageous in possession, but we need to try and find a good balance so that we don’t overdo it. If we manage that, then I have a positive feeling that we can achieve something special tomorrow and get a result.”