Matchday in focus: 1. FSV Mainz 05

Eintracht Frankfurt

·20. Dezember 2024

Matchday in focus: 1. FSV Mainz 05

Mainz are currently enjoying their best season in 14 years. Coach Bo Henriksen’s side are playing consistently well and are experts at starting strongly and finishing clear-cut chances.

Tactics

1. FSV Mainz 05 have faced Borussia Mönchengladbach, Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund, Holstein Kiel, Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich in six of their last seven Bundesliga outings – and not lost any of them. Indeed, they won four of those fixtures to take their wins tally for the current campaign to six – just one victory fewer than they managed over the entire 2023/24 season. Ahead of Saturday’s encounter at Deutsche Bank Park they lie in seventh place with 22 points on the board.

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Head coach Bo Henriksen has kept faith with a 3-4-2-1 formation since the beginning of the season, employing it in every Bundesliga match so far.

Absentees

Eintracht will be without Tuta (calf) and Aurèle Amenda (ankle). For Mainz, Jonathan Burkardt (thigh) is sidelined but “apart from him everyone else is fit,” according to Henriksen.

One to watch: Paul Nebel

After two years away, Paul Nebel has returned to Mainz. “I’m delighted to be back here; it feels like coming home” said the 22-year-old midfielder, who spent the last two seasons on loan at second-tier side Karlsruher SC, where he was a team-mate of Eintracht’s own Igor Matanovic.

Nebel has contributed three Bundesliga goals and one assist so far this season, prompting Henriksen to comment that “Paul keeps getting better and better and better”.

Paul Nebel…

…has made 12 Bundesliga appearances in 2024/25, providing three goals and one assist. He has made 30 first-team outings for Mainz in total.
…only missed three of 71 competitive games during his two years in Karlsruhe, two of which were due to suspension.
…scored six goals in 43 appearances for Germany’s youth teams between U15 and U21 level.

Facts and figures

Eintracht are unbeaten in their last eight Bundesliga meetings with Mainz, registering four wins and four draws. That is the Eagles’ longest undefeated streak against all current Bundesliga teams. Toppmöller’s charges are unbeaten on home turf in 2024/25, having won four and drawn two. In fact, Eintracht have only lost one Bundesliga home game in the 2024 calendar year. Mainz, meanwhile, suffered their first away defeat since March when they were beaten in Wolfsburg on Matchday 13. Mainz have equalled a club goal record this term, with 25 scored after 14 rounds of matches. They have found the net at least twice in each of their last five league assignments.