“Matches are the best kind of training”

Floodlights, a packed house, and a touch of European romance – on Thursday night (21:00 CEST), 1. FSV Mainz 05 will fight for European points on home soil for the first time in almost nine years. Standing in their way on matchday 2 of the UEFA Conference League league phase are Bosnian side HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, who opened their campaign with a 5-0 win over Lincoln Red Imps FC to sit top of the group. Mainz also began with a victory in Nicosia and are aiming to make it two wins from two. Despite recent setbacks in the Bundesliga, Bo Henriksen’s team feel well prepared and are determined to use this European fixture to build confidence for their domestic campaign.

BO HENRIKSEN...

…on the recent goals conceded: “Eight goals in two games isn’t exactly great. We need to defend better and we’ve been working on that. It’s the most important thing in football, and you need energy to do it well. Against Leverkusen we covered a lot of ground, but we also need to be smart. The last two matches were valuable lessons in that regard. We’ve had a good week of training and everyone’s fit.”

…on Robin Zentner’s return: “Robin’s back and that’s hugely important for us. He’s an outstanding goalkeeper and a real leader. Over the last 20 months he’s been exceptional and he’s vital both on and off the pitch.”

…on tomorrow’s match: “It’s a game we need to win. I’ve got a good feeling that everyone knows what the plan is. It’s not about the system – it’s about energy and intensity. It’s a mental thing; we can’t be afraid of making mistakes. Football should be fun and we want to go to Stuttgart on Sunday with a positive feeling.”

…on opponents Zrinjski Mostar: “We’re facing a good team. They’re top of the Conference League and second in their league, where they’ve only conceded four goals in ten games. They defend very well and have plenty of experience. It’ll be a tough match against a strong opponent, but we’re the favourites and we want to win. With six points, we’d be in a great position.“

…on summer signing William Böving: “Willi’s training really well. I’ve told him he needs to bring more energy and invest even more in every session. I think we’ll be seeing more of him over the next few weeks.”

PHILLIPP MWENE...

…on the support: “The fans lifted us again after the Leverkusen game. They told us not to let our heads drop and to keep going with confidence. Without them, we’d be missing a few crucial percent. I’m expecting an incredible atmosphere on Thursday night.”

…on Robin Zentner’s importance: “Robin has developed into an outstanding goalkeeper and brings real leadership qualities as well. He’s a hugely important figure for us and gives our back line a great sense of security.”

…on setbacks in the Bundesliga: “With the Conference League and matches every three or four days, there’s barely any time to look back. There’s always a new challenge right around the corner. Matches are the best kind of training, and we want to use tomorrow as a chance to build confidence.”

…on the opponents from Bosnia: “We’re all experienced enough not to underestimate them. The game against Omonoia was tight as well, and we’ll need a top performance tomorrow to get the win.”