"First and Foremost, We Have to Put in the Hard Work"

"Tuesday evening, 6 PM, under the floodlights, cup football – the stage is set," said Urs Fischer at his press conference, expressing his excitement ahead of Mainz's DFB-Pokal second-round clash away to VfL Bochum (live on Sky, RTL+ and 05ER.fm). The Swiss coach and his team have analysed the defeat against Bremen and are determined to turn their frustration into positive energy. After all, the 05ER can expect a proper cup atmosphere at the stadium on Castroper Straße. Mainz's head coach stressed that mentality and getting the basics right will be crucial against the side currently sitting 14th in the second division. The FSV can also count on strong support from their fans, with 2,500 travelling to Bochum for the midweek fixture. According to Fischer, Mainz's away performances so far this season provide "a certain degree of confidence". "But every game is a fresh start. We need to put in a good performance over the full 90 minutes, and first and foremost, we have to put in the hard work. We need to embrace that. That's what cup football is all about – plenty of physical battles and challenges."

Mainz will definitely be without Dominik Kohr and Silas for the trip. "There are still a few injury concerns. We'll have a clearer picture after today's short training session and will name the squad tomorrow," Fischer explained when asked about the team's availability following the Bremen game.

Urs Fischer Also Spoke About...

...the analysis of the Bremen game: "We analysed the game yesterday and discussed it with the lads. We know there are certain things we simply need to do better. I won't go into too much detail, but to give you an example, when you're in possession and attacking the opposition's goal, you need to make sure you're well organised defensively in case you lose the ball. We didn't get that right in certain situations, which made it difficult to defend when we lost possession. Looking at the goals we conceded, that's something we have to improve. Lately, we've been punished heavily whenever we make mistakes, and we're not doing enough to correct them either. That creates a bit of a chain reaction."

...the team's inconsistent performances: "That's how football goes sometimes, and life in general too. But finding a way to maintain that consistency on the pitch is something we're working on. At home, we've been the ones making mistakes. The way a game unfolds also plays a role. We go into matches with big ambitions, but against Bremen, we found ourselves behind again after just five minutes. That certainly doesn't help, and it's something we need to address. We have to be ready to do our jobs from the very first whistle, and we can only achieve that together as a team. Of course, it would be too simple to blame everything on how a match unfolds, but especially in situations like these, it would help if things went our way early on. We have to keep working at it, understand what's going wrong and try to put in the best possible performance in every game."

...the DFB-Pokal tie and whether playing away from home is currently easier for his team: "Whenever results matter, there's always pressure. It's a cup tie between a first-division and a second-division side, and I'm expecting a very close game. Whether we're playing at home or away, we have to perform and get the basics right, especially in a cup match against Bochum. Will our recent away results help us? They should give us a certain degree of confidence, but every game is a fresh start. We need to perform well over the full 90 minutes and, first and foremost, put in the hard work. We have to embrace that. That's what cup football is all about, with plenty of physical battles and challenges."

...the opponents from Bochum: "They're a team that enjoy a lot of possession in their league games, are solid defensively and don't give away many chances. They have a good balance between keeping the ball moving and playing direct balls towards their forwards. In Hofmann, they have a clear target man who can flick the ball on and hold it up. It's going to be a tough game."

...his personal experiences against VfL Bochum: "I think in my last game here with Union Berlin in the second division, we could have secured promotion with a win in Bochum, but we ended up having to go through the play-offs. That's something I remember. Playing at this stadium is always about mentality and getting the basics right. It's a great stadium with a fantastic atmosphere, and things can get pretty heated at times. Tuesday evening, 6 PM, under the floodlights, cup football – the stage is set."

...the appeal of the DFB-Pokal: "There's a trophy up for grabs. If that doesn't get you excited, you might as well not travel to Bochum. You can also qualify for European competition through the cup. People always say it's the shortest route. I've had the chance to win a cup as both a player and a coach, and it's a special feeling. You have to look forward to occasions like these. Without that excitement, it's going to be difficult."

...potential changes to the starting line-up: "This is our first week with three games. It's not really about managing workloads at this stage, but we're considering bringing in one or two fresh faces who have earned their chance through strong performances in training during the week."