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12.11.2022
Eintracht

Matchday in focus: Mainz 05 


Eintracht can expect to come up against a back three and a number of familiar faces when they visit Mainz 05 on Sunday.


Tactics

It’s nearly two years since Bo Svensson made his debut as coach of 1. FSV Mainz 05, the Dane having taken charge of his first game on 9 January 2021. The opponents: Eintracht Frankfurt. The Eagles won 2-0 on that occasion – Mainz’s only home defeat to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga to date.

Bo Svensson.

Svensson likes to mix up his formations but he generally deploys a back three, with his team normally lining up in a 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 system.

Absentees

Eintracht are missing Makoto Hasebe, Christopher Lenz and Aurélio Buta, while midfielders Sebastian Rode (calf) and Kristijan Jakic (ankle) are doubtful.

Svensson must do without striker Marlon Mustapha and centre-back Maxim Leitsch for the clash with Eintracht.

One to watch: Karim Onisiwo

Karim Onisiwo battles for the ball with Evan Ndicka.

Karim Onisiwo has been wearing the Mainz shirt for nearly seven years now. During that time, the 30-year-old has racked up 182 appearances in all competitions. The striker is the 05ers’ joint leading scorer this term with four goals together with Marcus Ingvartsen.

  • Onisiwo started the 2022/23 campaign with a brace in the 2-1 win at VfL Bochum. In total, the Austrian has registered 28 goals and 27 assists in all competitions since joining the club in January 2016.
  • Onisiwo won the Austrian second division with SV Mattersburg in 2014/15 and was also named ‘Player of the Season’.
  • He made his debut for the Austrian national team in November 2015 under coach Marcel Koller and has since gone on to rack up 20 international caps, scoring one goal.

Key battle: Randal Kolo Muani vs. Alexander Hack

Randal Kolo Muani has enjoyed a remarkable debut season so far. The 23-year-old has scored four Bundesliga goals himself and set up nine. In Europe’s top five leagues, only Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain has more assists in 2022/23 (10).

One of his direct opponents at Mainz on Sunday is likely to be Alexander Hack. The 1.93-metre tall centre-back, who’s been with FSV since 2015, has been a mainstay of the defence this season. However, Hack has only tasted victory against Eintracht twice in eight meetings, along with four defeats and two draws.