“Our performance is more important than the opponent”

The last competitive match of 2024 for 1. FSV Mainz 05 sees them travel for a clash with Eintracht Frankfurt. The 05ers will have 6,000 fans cheering them on from the sold-out away section at the Deutsche Bank Park for the local derby on Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CET). The hope is for a successful conclusion to an exciting year. Off the back of last weekend's home win over FC Bayern München, the visitors will approach the contest full of confidence both in and out of possession. Mainz will look to press on despite the tough challenge that awaits.

Bo Henriksen spoke about...

...the opportunity to gift themselves an early Christmas present: “We will give it all we’ve got in order to make it a wonderful Christmas by winning this game. However, we also know that it will be a difficult one against a tough opponent. With our good form behind us though, we hope to claim all three points. That’s what we want for Christmas this year.”

...the plan to deal with the dangerous strike duo of Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitiké: “They are both very good strikers but we’ve defended very well over the course of the last six or seven games and won’t be doing anything differently on Saturday. Marmoush and Ekitiké are very quick players, but our back three also possesses speed so we will not change being changing our tactics of the last few weeks. The decision lies now with who we select to do that on Saturday.”

...squad updates: "Jonny Burkardt and Daniel Gleiber are the only players who will definitely be missing, but otherwise we have plenty of choice."

...the opponent Eintracht Frankfurt: “They have a similar tactical set-up when compared with Wolfsburg and Bayern. They play out from the back four and then Marmoush usually moves into the half-spaces. We know that we have to defend very well tomorrow. They are very effective in transition and capitalise if you allow them to get into their rhythm. They also have two pacey forwards, but our own performance is more important than the opponent. If we put in another good display then I have a good feeling that we can pick up one or even three points. Frankfurt are a really good team, but so are we.”

“Frankfurt are a really good team, but so are we”

...Jonny Burkardt’s road to recovery: “He’s healing day-by-day. We’ll see how long it takes for him to be fully fit, because we can’t be 100% sure right now. Nevertheless, Jonny is continually working hard in order to make his comeback. He is the complete professional.”

...goalscoring opportunities in Frankfurt: “We believe that we are good enough to score in every game. We have a lot of players who are capable of finding the net, such as Armindo Sieb, Nadiem Amiri, Paul Nebel or Jae-sung Lee, so we are feeling positive. Tomorrow, however, the emphasis is on defensive solidity. If we keep a clean sheet then we are much more likely to win the match.”

...Armindo Sieb’s performance against Bayern: “I see him as a really good player. He possesses great pace while also being strong and tricky to defend against. He’s incredible in front of goal, perhaps even our best finisher. He has terrific shooting ability but was actually the one to provide the assists against Bayern. That was good to see, the link-up with Lee and Paul in particular. He’s as fit as ever, which is something he has worked hard for. I’m very proud of him.”

...the upcoming winter break: “My family is happy that I can come home for a few days. From a sporting point of view, with our current form, I would love to keep playing. However, it’s been a long and taxing year, so I think it’s beneficial for the team and the whole club that we have a break.”