Three points the perfect birthday present

Augsburg visit the MEWA ARENA on Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CET) where they will face a Mainz side high on confidence, coming off the back of five home wins in succession. The away side have produced some strong displays of late, though, and have in fact gone four Bundesliga matches unbeaten (W3, D1). However, FCA were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday night thanks to a 1-0 defeat in Stuttgart. FSV have proved a tough nut to crack on their own patch in recent weeks and would set a new club record for a sixth straight home win if they are to prevail over their Bavarian visitors on Saturday. Nevertheless, the 05ers had less such luck in their previous match away to Werder Bremen, losing 1-0. Mainz currently occupy sixth place in the table, boasting 31 points, while upcoming opponents Augsburg have 26 points to their name and sit 12th.

The Mainzer emerged victorious from a reverse fixture in Augsburg that was full of drama, ultimately running out 3-2 winners. Although the 05ers never trailed in the match, the hosts were twice able to halve the deficit, keeping themselves in the game right until the final whistle. Two red cards – one for each team – provided the contest with added drama. Nonetheless, the visitors were able to hold on for the three points, which they gleefully took with them home to Mainz.

head coach Bo Henriksen spoke in his press conference about...

...squad updates: “Anthony Caci is suspended and Stefan Bell is out through injury. We will carry out a couple of tests with Nadiem to see if he is fit to play on Saturday. It’s a similar situation for Jonny Burkardt.”

...a new-look defensive three:  “There are a number of players who can do a good job in this position for us so we have options. Any of Maxim Leitsch, Andreas Hanche-Olsen or Moritz Jenz could play so it’s rather a nice problem to have, picking who starts at the weekend.”

...Arnaud Nordin:  “He is two-footed and a quick dribbler. He can both operate in the half-spaces and make runs in behind. That’s the sort of player we’ve been missing of late so he should be a really positive addition to the squad. Arnaud always wants to work hard and adds both goals and assists to this team, so I believe he will become a really important player for us.”

...Augsburg head coach Jess Thorup: “He is a great guy and someone I know well from out time together playing for Odense. He was a really good footballer and now a great coach, too. That is clear to see from what he has achieved in Denmark, Belgium and Germany.”

...his 50th birthday on Friday: “We will have a team meeting ahead of training tomorrow and it's a tradition to say a few words if it's your birthday. That will be good fun but the most important thing for me is that we produce a good performance on Saturday. We need to give it our all and show self-belief."

...what to expect from the weekend’s clash: “The three points are the most important thing for us. Augsburg are a strong side who have performed well in recent weeks. I watched their cup game in midweek and I thought they played well yet again. They don’t create a bundle of chances but are efficient when they do get in front of goal and also defend very well. Our focus needs to be on bringing our own game, though, and approaching the contest full of energy.”