The catch-up match against Union offers Mainz a great opportunity in the relegation battle. The catch: it could be the last one. Will the shaken team’s nerves hold up?
Whether Mainz 05 is still in the fight to avoid relegation or whether they can still finish 16th at best? This discussion is, of course, pointless, as the Rheinhessen side only have one objective for the time being: To leave the penultimate place in the table at the top. At first glance, it is surprising that sporting director Martin Schmidt is talking about a “three-way battle” in the basement of the table that will “continue for a long time”. After all, Wednesday offers the perhaps unique opportunity to move back to within three points of 15th place with a win in the catch-up match against Union Berlin – and to turn the relegation race into at least a four-way battle. Nevertheless, the Swiss emphasized: “At the moment, you don’t have to think about anything other than 16th place. “
The direct relegation threat looms out of reach on Wednesday
But that hardly means that the 05 managers want to “tick off” anything yet. Rather, they seem to want to document what coach Jan Siewert says: “We have to look reality in the eye.” And that is what it says: In the event of another Mainz defeat, the Ironmen would actually be out of striking distance in fourth last place with a gap of nine points. How will the 05 professionals cope mentally with this clearly exacerbated pressure situation on Wednesday evening? This question is at least as exciting as the one about a three- or four-man battle. And above all much more relevant
The most urgent task is therefore to send enough professionals onto the pitch whose nerves will hold up. There should be no doubt that Nadiem Amiri will be one of them. The playmaker, who made his debut against Werder (0:1), had to leave the pitch shortly before the end, suffering from cramps. However, the 27-year-old was immediately given the green light for his next starring role in Mainz’s fateful match. Amiri’s self-assessment (“I think I’ve already been able to give the team a lot”) is unreservedly confirmed by all sides. “He’s good for us with his creativity,” is Schmidt’s verdict on the man who, according to Siewert, has “immediately taken on a leadership role”. Not only in terms of soccer, but also emotionally: “I’ve spoken to the boys a lot. You can tell that a lot of them have blockages,” reveals Amiri. “But I feel good and I’m trying to get the boys on board with me.” For many Mainz fans, that’s their best hope of salvation at the moment