Mainz 05 fought hard for the 3:1 n.V. at SV Wehen Wiesbaden. It’s the first assessment without Brajan Gruda. Sporting director Niko Bungert tries to take the pressure off as far as potential additions are concerned
“We are in various discussions, but we have also seen that we are very well positioned with this squad,” emphasized sporting director Niko Bungert after the 3:1 win at SV Wehen Wiesbaden, which was only perfect after 120 minutes. “Something can still happen in the last two weeks of the transfer period, but it doesn’t have to from our point of view,” added Bungert. FSV are on the lookout for a central defender and a half-forward
“The show of strength against a team that is already in the league” also shows that the harmony in the team is still there. In fact, Mainz fought energetically against the deficit, helped each other out, but the large amount of possession caused them headaches at times. “After good combinations at the start, we wanted to play more beautiful moves,” said Bungert, outlining one of the weak points. After the half-time break, however, the visitors focused more on their actual intentions.
Dominik Kohr’s 1:1 in the 59th minute initiated the turnaround, Mainz’s chances became more numerous, but the determination was still not very pronounced. It was not until the second period of extra time that Jonathan Burkardt (113′) and Nadiem Amiri (120’/+1) decided the game
Burkardt (self)critical
Burkardt’s goal was scored right in front of the numerous Mainz fans in the sold-out stadium with 12,500 spectators. The 05 captain, who deputized for Silvan Widmer after he caught a cold, celebrated the 2:1 lead accordingly and was celebrated by a “huge white block” and his team-mates. “We can certainly improve our decision-making in the final third,” explained Burkardt, who was also not really satisfied with himself: ”I was less able to assert myself than I expect.”
Brajan Gruda, whose transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion was completed on Wednesday evening, was replaced by Armindo Sieb as half-forward ahead of Karim Onisiwo, who was initially still on the bench following a minor knee injury. Sieb had good scenes early on but tailed off later on, which may be down to the fact that he is not yet at 100 percent fitness-wise.
