Three points towards a final day showdown

It’s been a strange few weeks for Mainz. The performances have often been good, but the results have been missing – the 05ers have now gone seven Bundesliga games without a win. Everyone is hoping that the final two matchdays of the season, this weekend in Bochum and the finale against Leverkusen, will swing the tide back in Mainz’s favour. Speaking after training on Wednesday morning, Paul Nebel feels that the 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on the weekend may have been disappointing, but it’s not all doom and gloom: “It was a great game, both in terms of the atmosphere and our performance. Looking at how the match went and how we felt the day after, the overriding feeling is pride at having delivered a good performance against Frankfurt.” The recent results haven’t affected team spirit at all. “The atmosphere in the squad is great – we’re buzzing to train together every day, we give it everything, and we don’t forget to enjoy ourselves. We’ve got two important games ahead and a big opportunity in front of us, so we’re fully focused on making sure we get positive results from both matches,” said the 22-year-old.

After riding a wave of success and climbing as high as third in the table, Mainz have only managed to collect four points from seven matches since their 3-1 win in Mönchengladbach. “That’s football – sometimes you fall out of the rhythm you’ve built up over weeks when you lose a game,” said the Mainz academy product of the team’s recent dip in form. “Lately, momentum hasn’t really been on our side.” Still, there are reasons to remain positive. “I think we showed a lot of good things against Frankfurt – we were tough to play against right from the start, we didn’t let our heads drop after going behind, and we were dominant in the second half. That’s exactly what we want to show again in Bochum.” The motivation to reward themselves with a European spot by picking up as many points as possible in the final two matches couldn’t be higher. “We want to get the reward our performances this campaign deserve – it’s been a fantastic season that has brought us a lot of joy. That said, we know we have to win both of our remaining games to make the most of it.”

Mainz won’t be making their final away trip of the season without some concerns. With Moritz Jenz and Danny da Costa both unavailable and Dominik Kohr injured, the Rheinhessen are without three key defensive players. “It’s always a shame when we’re missing lads,” said Nebel. “But I think you’ve seen that the players stepping in are ready to go – Silvan Widmer, for example, hadn’t played much recently but put in a fantastic performance on Sunday. And Lasse Rieß came in at short notice and did a great job as well,” the attacking midfielder added, praising his teammates. Nebel himself has gone from squad player to regular starter in Mainz’s attack this season – something he hadn’t necessarily expected. “When I came back from the 2. Bundesliga in the summer, I didn’t think it would happen that quickly, but I did believe I could make it. And of course, I’m really happy with how well it’s gone for me personally this season.”

On Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST), Mainz travel to face bottom-of-the-table Bochum, who are fighting for survival and need a home win to keep their hopes alive. Given the circumstances, Nebel expects a high-intensity encounter. “The stadium will be rocking, and I’m sure it’ll be a fiery atmosphere. That’s why we’ve got to throw everything at it – Bochum are playing to stay in the Bundesliga, and we have to match that mentality. Only then can we get something from the game.” The plan against Dieter Hecking’s side is clear: “We need to perform like we did against Frankfurt. We put in a good display on Sunday and there’s no reason to be critical of ourselves – now it’s about getting back into the flow, and with a win in Bochum, we could set ourselves up for a final day showdown against Leverkusen." Mainz are currently just two points off sixth place, which would secure qualification for the UEFA Conference League. Regardless of how the season ends, Nebel already sees this campaign as a big success for Mainz. "Of course, as an athlete you always want to achieve the maximum, but we can already be proud of what we’ve done this year. No one would’ve predicted we’d be in seventh place going into the final week of