“A special day” with a clear target in mind

The 05ers are set to give it their all one final time this season. On Saturday, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, already confirmed as Bundesliga runners-up, visit the MEWA ARENA for a matchday 34 clash (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Thanks to a resounding 4-1 win away in Bochum last time out, Mainz have their fate in their own hands regarding qualification for European competition. FSV currently have 51 points on the board and occupy sixth place in the standings. Should they hold onto that spot, they will be playing UEFA Conference League football next term.

However, a tough opponent lies ahead of Mainz in the form of the Werkself, who have lost just three of 33 top-flight fixtures throughout the current campaign, winning on 19 occasions. The 05ers also suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bayer in the reverse fixture. FSV will look to delve into their bag of tricks one last time this season in order to ensure the dream of European football becomes a reality in front of their home fans, who will undoubtedly spur them on throughout.

Head coach Bo Henriksen spoke in his press conference about...

...team news for Saturday: “Dominik Kohr, Maxim Dal and Moritz Jenz all remain unavailable to us. Robin Zentner trained individually this week and we will have to see how things are with him tomorrow. Everyone else is fit and ready to play against Leverkusen.”

...Phillipp Mwene being subbed off in Bochum: “Phillipp became a father last weekend. We obviously knew about this special situation and received the message at half time to say that things had started. We agreed to bring him off so he can head home should we go 2-0 up. He scored the goal to make that happen himself and we then in turn substituted him. On top of that, it was his very first goal of the season and an extraordinary experience for him and the team.”

...the past week of training: “I don’t get the sense that the players are under any added pressure. We had a lot of fun this week and saw a team that is feeling good right now. Everyone is at 100% and everyone wants to win. That culture characterises this team. The training sessions were of high intensity and things steadily got better each day, which is the most important thing.”

...expectations for the matchday 34 with Leverkusen: “It is a special day for us. We have trained and worked hard all year long to be in this position and being able to play the final game of the season in front of our own fans tomorrow is exactly what we want. In Bayer Leverkusen, we are facing off with a strong side that possesses some quality players, including Wirtz, Schick, Xhaka and Frimpong to name merely a few examples. They are not only well-equipped on the pitch but also mentally. Nevertheless, we are not afraid of them and have already beaten a couple of the big names at the MEWA ARENA this term, so anything can happen here.”

...the concurrent fixture in Leipzig: “I think my coaching staff will keep an eye on what is happening between Leipzig and Stuttgart, but the most important thing for us is that we win our game. The task at hand for Saturday is not to defend anything, rather our aim is a clear one and that is to leave the field victorious over Leverkusen.”

...Mainz’s experience of final-day drama: “Last season’s match in Wolfsburg was a very different one to what we can expect tomorrow. However, it is good to be playing for something once again because that just makes things a whole lot more fun. We have enjoyed a great period ever since the final whistle in that fixture last year. I hope that we can go and do our job tomorrow in order to be able to celebrate together once more.”