Duel with ex-Bundesliga coach Reis
©IMAGO
Bundesliga bottom side Mainz 05 would like to put aside the worries of everyday league life on Thursday and reach the round of 16 of an international competition for the first time in the club’s history. “The boys should enjoy the game, because it is not a given to play internationally,” said coach Urs Fischer before the last game in the league phase of the Conference League against Samsunspor, coached by Thomas Reis, on Thursday (9 p.m./RTL).
It is also important that the team shows its best performance again, said Fischer: “That is the prerequisite for making history.” After the freestyle in the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich (2:2), does the duty against the Turkish club now follow? “That’s going a bit too far for me. The league comes first.” However, the Swiss emphasized that it would be good for the team to be able to avoid the two playoff games in February.
Like Mainz, Samsunspor also has to score three points if possible in order to qualify directly for the next round – only the first eight can do that. Mainz (8th) and Samsunspor (5th), like three other teams, have ten points to their name. Behind them there are numerous teams with nine and eight points lying in wait. The Rheinhessen team is expecting a large number of Turkish fans, but that shouldn’t be a disadvantage. “We are pleased that the stadium will be full and very atmospheric,” said defender Stefan Bell.
In terms of personnel, Fischer can again rely on playmaker Nadiem Amiri and Dominik Kohr and Paul Nebel, who were recently suspended in the Bundesliga, and possibly also Silvan Widmer. He has to do without Sota Kawasaki (structural injury), the suspended Nikolas Veratschnig as well as Robin Zentner, Phillipp Mwene and Anthony Caci, who have been out for some time. Fischer is likely to move away from his defensive 5-4-1 system against Samsunspor after the 2-2 draw at FC Bayern. “If it’s purely about the system, a change is possible. We’ll think about something to surprise the opponent,” explained the 59-year-old.