Henriksen: “Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps”

The business end of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season is upon us, with just six games left to play. For 1. FSV Mainz 05, this weekend sees them travel to the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim to take on TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday (15:30 CEST). Around 10,000 FSV fans are expected to make the trip south to support the team. Mainz have long enjoyed their visits to TSG, having scored more goals against the Sinsheim-based side than against any other club in the Bundesliga (58). They have also won more games against TSG (15) than against any other side. 

Mainz are currently unbeaten in their last four meetings with Hoffenheim (W3, D1), with their last defeat against them dating back to February 2022. Ahead of Saturday’s clash, FSV find themselves in fourth place with 46 points, while TSG are in 14th with 27 points. The hosts will be looking to pick up some much-needed points as they hope to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle, while FSV are seeking to keep pace at the top of the table. 

AHEAD OF THE MATCH, HEAD COACH BO HENRIKSEN SPOKE TO THE PRESS ABOUT...

...Dominik Kohr’s return: "Dominik is a very important player for us because he never hesitates to get stuck into a duel. We had a couple issues in this area in Dortmund, while we struggled tactically against Kiel. We’re glad that Dominik will be back now because he has featured in many Bundesliga games, is smart and always wants to win every ball — it’s important for us to have players with this sort of mindset in our squad.” 

…team news: "Nadiem Amiri is suspended, while Stefan Bell and Maxim Dal remain sidelined. Everyone else will be part of the squad against Hoffenheim, so that we can hopefully put in a strong performance there.” 

...Lennard Maloney: "Lennard is a very professional player. He works hard in training every day and gives the team a lot of energy. He now needs to take the next step of being in the starting line-up. We’ll see whether he’s ready for that tomorrow.” 

…the 10,000 Mainz fans expected to accompany the team to Sinsheim: “Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps — it’s crazy and incredible. It’s obviously something special for us to have so many fans accompany us. Hopefully, we will be able pay back their support with a win tomorrow. Knowing that the fans will have our backs is a great feeling.” 

…the upcoming game: “We know that we’re up against a strong team who know how to play football. However, we also have the confidence to say that we’re also a good team. For us, it will come down to being able to bring that power and energy to the pitch and being better in possession than we have been in recent weeks. If we work together, then we have everything we need in order to win.” 

…potential changes to their preparations for the game: “We’re not planning on it. We were a man down for much of the game against Freiburg and played well, lost in Dortmund and then didn’t play well in the first half against Kiel. And yet, we’re in fourth place, which is crazy. We only recently secured safety, which is extremely important to a club like Mainz 05. It’s important that the team know how good they are and what they’ve achieved already this season. We now have six games left to go, which is crazy.”