"Battles, Battles for 90 Minutes"

Urs Fischer knows exactly what awaits his players on Saturday (15:30 CEST, live on Sky, DAZN and 05ER.fm). "Battles, battles for 90 minutes," the Mainz 05 head coach said during the pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Gelsenkirchen. This time, the 05ers will be looking to maintain the necessary intensity and defensive solidity throughout the full 90 minutes. In their last three matches, Mainz have struggled to defend consistently enough at times, as Fischer himself acknowledged. "One thing is clear: we have to do better at Schalke," he said.

The Swiss coach and his players can certainly count on the backing of their supporters. Around 6,000 Mainz fans will make the trip to the Ruhr region, hoping to see the 05ers continue the impressive away form that has served them so well so far this season.

Urs Fischer on...

...the number of goals conceded in the last two matches: "It's important to be self-critical and learn from it. There were two main reasons. Firstly, we didn't defend consistently enough in certain phases of the game, even if that wasn't the case for the full 90 minutes. Secondly, we made individual mistakes. Mistakes are part of football. You have to try to avoid them or at least keep them to a minimum. We've addressed those issues and looked back at specific situations. Now it's about looking ahead and making sure we do better in the next game. One thing is clear: we have to do better at Schalke."

...potential changes as a result: "We need to do a better job of protecting our goal as a team. It's about the distances between players, compactness and organisation. These days, the three lines of the team have to work well together, if not perfectly, if you want to pick up points. That hasn't been the case in our last three games, and we've addressed it."

...the intensity required: "In terms of work rate and intensity, things have actually looked good so far. But no two games are the same. When you have less possession, you tend to sprint more. When you have more of the ball, it's important to make runs in behind by changing the tempo. Overall, our fitness department is happy with where we are."

...the role of the senior players: "They need to lead by example, take responsibility and try to do their jobs as well as possible. But that only works if we do it collectively. I think questioning everything is too negative, though. We've also scored eight goals in our last three games and won one of them. So there are positives to take away as well. But there are still areas we need to work on."

...the impressive away record: "Maybe we put too much pressure on ourselves at home to get everything right. Away from home, we seem to play with a bit more freedom. Things have also gone perfectly for us in those matches, and we've had a bit of luck on our side too. But it does seem that we're finding things a little more difficult at home than on the road."

...the key factors for success: "Regardless of the style of play you choose, you need to be well organised on the pitch. You need to stay compact and put in the hard work. First and foremost, it's about establishing defensive stability. We haven't managed that in our last three games, and we need to get back to that level. In the second half of last season, we were very difficult to score against. We're a team that usually gives away very few clear-cut chances. But at the moment, whenever we make individual mistakes, we're being punished for them."

...the opposition, Schalke 04: "One thing we can definitely expect is battles all over the pitch for 90 minutes. Schalke are a team that look to get forward quickly and are strong at winning second balls. Intensity, aggression, lots of battles – if you're not prepared to match that, you'll struggle against them. They're well organised and compact. When they lose possession, they're good at counter-pressing and transitioning quickly into attack."

...the squad situation: "Robin Zentner, Otto Ruoppi and Silas will definitely be unavailable on Saturday, although Silas has already taken part in some team training sessions. Everyone else is available for selection."

...Rael Nakuzola, who has signed a professional contract: "He's doing really well. I think he's still getting used to the pace and intensity, and that's something you shouldn't underestimate. He's doing well and is eager to learn. Sooner or later, he'll definitely get his opportunity."