Following on from their important 2-1 win at home to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Adi Hütter’s men face Mainz 05 on Saturday 9 January (kick-off: 15:30 CET), with a three-match unbeaten run on the line against the team that is currently second from bottom in the Bundesliga.
Rode returns
Sebastian Rode is available again after serving a one-match ban – a fact welcomed by the head coach with his team facing six matches in the space of 27 days. “No one will be able to play seven games in a row in January,” was Hütter’s assessment of the fixture list. Evan Ndicka, meanwhile, is keen to keep the Eagles’ strong run going. “It was and is always tough playing against Mainz, but if we play like we have been recently and stick together as a team, I reckon we’ve got a pretty good chance of coming away with a win,” the defender said. Three points on Saturday would put Frankfurt back in touch with the European spots.
Mainz under new stewardship
The SGE staff will have their work cut out preparing for the opposition, though, as the 05ers have a new coach at the helm, with Bo Svensson taking over on Tuesday of this week. “I stand for the Mainz values,” said the Dane. “It starts off when we’re not in possession of the ball and it’s all about playing as a team, closing the space, putting the opposition under pressure and defending from the front. I want us to switch the play quickly after winning the ball. And obviously we want to have an intense and energetic style of play,” the former Mainz player said when introduced to the press. Eintracht can therefore expect a tough match – but so too can Mainz against one of the form teams in the league!
Match info
Kick-off: Saturday 9 January 2021, 15:30 CET, Bundesliga, Matchday 15
Stadium: OPEL Arena, Mainz.
