The numbers are impressive. Under Svensson, the FSV conceded on average by far the least bundesliga gentene compared to all predecessors in Mainz. Since the Dane in January 2021 the coaching office took over, it hit only 49 times in 43. With a cut of 1.14, the team is now much more stable than under Thomas Tuchel (1.35) and Martin Schmidt (1.41), which run on the squares two and three.
Also considerable are other numbers from the FSV conceded database: The FSV allowed only 102 opposing opportunities, only Wolfsburg (94) and Bavaria (78) less. Only 23.5 percent of these opportunities were used by the opponent, just three teams had an even worse opportunity recycling: at Leipzig, Freiburg and Bielefeld.
Before the game against Bayer Leverkusen (Friday, 8.30 pm, live! At FSV conceded) Speak Stefan Bell (30) talks about the reasons for the great stability, the changed game style and the return of 05 identity.
Mr. Bell, why is the Mainz defense so stable?
I would not only refer to the defense, decisive is the defensive behavior of the entire team, we all pursue the same plan and spend our offensive players completely. This gives us a tremendous stability, which makes us easier in the defense much rarely. This is a big difference to recent years and maybe to other teams.
What role does the fact that coach Bo Svensson used to be internally defensive?
Since the new coaching team is there, we have adapted the style of play. We define us less about the possession of the possession in one’s own half, do not try to combine us from behind to the front, which is always a risk source. In this regard comes a bit of the defender at Bo. He prefers the simple game and we try to quickly get into the opposing half. There are also simple clarification actions, in the defenders is the focus on defending. Before that, there were other approaches, we wanted more football matches.
is that of the typical 05 style, which is occasionally spoken?
In any case, for a year we see again much more Mainz 05 on the square. We hit a lot more closed, especially in the game against the ball, and are much more intense. We bring Power to the square that gives everyone the feeling, there is a troop that tracks the same plan and get all out.
Bayer Leverkusen becomes a special challenge?
In any case, Leverkusen is probably currently the most dimensional team, they have extreme pace, joy of play and high quality with the individual players. In the first leg we were at eye level in the first half, have long kept the zero and lost at the end 0: 1. It’s a big, big job, but it is not impossible to take anything when we support each other perfectly.
Due to injury, in the defense, the staff has changed, why does not the performance do not abort?
I find remarkable how many different defensive chains we already had this season, that was extremely. Especially for it it ran very well and very stable. For the reasons, several factors come together. We have a clear way of playing, which we usually get on the field regardless of the personnel. Anyone who comes up again knows what he has to do. He comes to a functioning team, which makes it easier. In addition, everyone who comes in comes directly to direct performance, we are pretty dimensionally stable and have a good breadth in the squad.
What are you looking at the table – top is not the distance?
If, I look in both directions, the league is so tight and the midfield so wide, as long ago no more, so it’s extremely exciting. I wish that we keep the distance down constant and ideally too, so that we can hope for a long time, perhaps with an eye to be able to go upstairs. Then we look how far we come.
So far it hooks to the away services, was Freiburg the turning?
In any case, in most away games before the performance was not good, that was very different at the Sports Club. We were against a team, which moves around the Champions League, a half-time clearly better and in the second it was balanced. That’s a good performance.
Preview: Mainz 05 – Bayer Leverkusen