Once again in attack mood

For the final time this year 1. FSV Mainz 05 have the chance to make up ground in the relegation battle and to head into the winter break feeling better. The 05ers are the visitors away at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday evening (20:30 CET) on matchday 16 in the Bundesliga. After feelings of frustration and disappointment prevailed following the loss against Heidenheim, FSV are looking to go again. “We’ve got a chance in Dortmund and we want to make the most of it,” Jan Siewert said at his press conference on Monday. The 05ers will be accompanied by around 2,000 fans on Tuesday.

Mainz’s head coach himself has a past with Borussia Dortmund. He coached Dortmund’s U23s from July 2017 until January 2019 and is consequently very aware of the upcoming opponent’s style of play. A top team in the shape of the fifth-placed side in the Bundesliga and a Champions League quarter-finalist lies in wait for FSV, whilst Borussia are full of quality, both as a team as well as individually. “They want to push forward and have lots of players who can get in behind the defence with their pace. They try to break down the opposition with their possession in order to create chances,” explained Siewert, who in the short preparation time will work with his team on how best to counter these strengths. As well as “good periods of counter pressing and compactness”, the 41-year-old wants to see above all from his team “passion, resilience and courage in the way we play football”.

“Something’s always possible”

These new approaches have been noticeable in the five games under Siewert so far. The FSV head coach’s belief in his side is therefore unbroken even after the experiences of the past few weeks. Against Hoffenheim, Freiburg, Köln and Heidenheim, FSV were the dominant side and created a host of chances in each. The opportunities were there to decide the game in Mainz’s favour, but, aside from the win against Leipzig in Siewert’s first match, they have produced just two draws. The 05ers would have picked up far more points if they were more clinical in front of goal. The 41-year-old admitted that he found the situation “almost absurd”.

The fact that his team are creating more and more chances is though a positive for the Mainz boss. “You could see in every game that something’s always possible with our approach.” They will get what they deserve sooner or later, maybe even in the Signal-Iduna-Park on Tuesday evening. “We’ll reap what we sow. It all comes down to the team believing that, and they do every game.”

Positive experience to cling onto

Siewert wasn’t in the job yet when the 05ers denied Borussia Dortmund the title in dramatic fashion in May with a passionate, courageous performance. However, that 2-2 draw provides FSV with possible approaches to the task they face, especially from a mental perspective. “The team has this experience to cling onto – this performance shows that something is possible there. That’s good. It’s now time for us to apply that.” 

Widmer back in training

The 05ers once again need to give everything they’ve got in their last game in 2023. Captain Silver Widmer is back involved in training after overcoming flu and he could be an option for the squad again. “There’s a possibility that Anthony Caci is able to play,” added Siewert, who wasn’t able to announce that any other players would be returning before the winter break. FSV will have to do without Leandro Barreiro, Edimilson Fernandes, Robin Zentner, Maxim Leitsch, Josuha Guilavogui, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Nelson Weiper in Dortmund.

Despite all the setbacks and the strain on the squad, FSV also want to approach the task in Dortmund with full focus, whilst looking to be aggressive and find solutions.