Raring to go before final test of the campaign

The 05ers worked with intensity and optimism as they geared up for their crucial clash in Wolfsburg on Saturday

Philipp Mwene has served his suspension and is an option for the starting XI against Wofsburg.

The 05ers kicked off their final week of training this season boosted by the beautiful weather, the positivity in the camp following the win over Dortmund and a lack of serious injury issues. Bo Henriksen’s side looked like they could hardly wait for their final test of the campaign – a trip to Wolfsburg on Saturday (15:30 CEST) – in their first training session of the week. The only FSV players who did not feature on Tuesday were Karim Onisiwo and Maxim Leitsch.

It’s incredible what a win against Champions League finalists can do. “That’s football. It’s amazing, it’s emotional. We’ve worked hard for three months and can guarantee our survival on Saturday,” said Henriksen in a press conference following the training session. The 05ers’ fate is in their own hands thanks to the fantastic result last Saturday, but it’s also down to how the side have performed in the months since the Dane first took charge.

Playing to win

However, Henriksen stressed that Saturday’s game against VfL, who currently sit on 37 points and are mathematically safe from the drop, is going to be another “tough challenge”. A point is all that Mainz need to guarantee their survival, but going into the game aiming to draw would not fit with FSV’s ethos. “We’ve got to attack, attack, attack. It’s in our DNA – it’s the only way we know how to do things. We’re going to Wolfsburg to win.”

The past few weeks have shown that the support from the 05ers’ fans is also a crucial part of this DNA. Whether they’ve been at home or on the road, the supporters have cheered Mainz on and done everything they can to help get their side over the line. “Having so many travelling supporters is important for us. You can see that we play well when we have this fantastic support from our fans,” explained Henriksen. As per usual, FSV’s head coach has been sticking to working with his team and his team only, ignoring what might be happening elsewhere. “We’ve got one goal – staying up. We’re going to do everything we can to win on Saturday!”

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