Werders visit to 1. FSV Mainz 05 could prove to be a real test. It will be a test of how the league leaders deal with a tie against a team in the bottom third of the table.
Werders visit to 1. FSV Mainz 05 could prove to be a real test. It will be a test of how the league leaders deal with a tie against a team in the bottom third of the table.
Werders visit to 1. FSV Mainz 05 could prove to be a real test. It will be a test of how the league leaders deal with a tie against a team in the bottom third of the table. The only way of passing the tricky exam on Friday evening is to take three points back to the Weser. An estimated 2,500 Werder fans will make the trip to the ‘Carnival City’ to see how their league leaders do: “We are very sure that the team can rise to the next challenge, take on the task and move on from there”, commented general manager Klaus Allofs. The boss knows that the way they approach the task ahead is vital and that they confirm their position in the league. “Now we are the hunted but that’s not a new situation. Games against Werder are no longer normal games – playing against us is for many teams an event.”
Mainz hope to use the event to start a turn about in their season. The 2006/2007 season began positively with a win against Bochum and points in Dortmund and Frankfurt. The fact is though that since the 2:1 opening day win Mainz have been unable to pick up a win – seven times in a row. The last two ties against Aachen and Bielefeld ended in defeat. Mainz trainer Jürgen Klopp explained: “We have experience in the relegation battle. I made the mistake in not naming staying in the league as our goal for this season prior to the start. I didn’t do that over in the two previous years but everyone knew the score.” FSV eventually made the leap into the top flight, after many failed efforts, in 2004 and finished the last two seasons strongly in eleventh place. Thomas Schaaf praised them on that fact: “They have solidified their position in the league and people have sat up and taken notice.” Mainz managed a 2:1 win against Werder in their 8th Bundesliga tie and a 0:0 in the return leg in Bremen during the 2004/2005 season.
The ‘Fun-Side’ from Rheinland-Pfalz were left training in Werders wake last season though with 0:2 and 4:2 defeats. One particular man played an important roll in last seasons match. With less than a minute gone, one Mohamed Zidan put the visitors ahead. Today the Egyptian is back in the Werder squad, after his loan move, and he is sorely missed in Mainz. “We will always have a place for him”, claimed FSV manager Christian Heidel. The young striker, who scored nine goals for Mainz, wants to battle on and claim a place in Bremen – maybe een on Friday. Thomas Schaaf is sure: “He’s happy in Bremen and if he should play for Werder against Mainz he will feel good about that too.”
Mainz have bid farewell to more players than just Zidan, with Niclas (unknown), Dennis Weiland (Braunschweig), Benjamin Auer (Bochum), Tom Geißler (Aue), Tamas Bodog (career end) and Mathias Abel (Schalke) all leaving the club. The late departures of Michael Thurk (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Antonio da Silva (Stuttgart) means that Mainz lost almost their complete offensive group. Klopp and Heidel went on a buying spree and took on Edu from Bochum, Imre Szabics from Cologne and Mimoun Azaouagh from Schalke, Ralph Gunesch (St. Pauli), Du-Ri Cha (Frankfurt), Markus Feulner (Cologne), Bakary Diakité (Wehen) as well as integrating Tobias Damm and Fatmir Pupalovic from their own youth side. The side have so far scored seven, conceded eleven and with seven points cling on to 15th place.
Thomas Schaaf soberly considered the Mainz situation: “Mainz tend to often battle against relegation. Sometimes in a better position, sometimes in a weaker one. They’ll be looking forward to playing us. Then they can prove themselves and maybe play more freely. They’ll give their all and try everything. Their will, fighting mentality and footballing ability have all improved in recent years.” Schaaf must get through to his side that they must be as concentrated as they were against Bayern, take Mainz as seriously as Bayern and, as against Bayern, show what the Green-Whites are made of – and that “Right from the kick-off”. Games against teams like Mainz and Bochum are called “The other games” by Thomas Schaaf as he knows that such games can be a test, and they must be passed.
