Overview
- Mainz has conceded ten goals in its last three Bundesliga matches, and coach Urs Fischer said the team must protect the goal better by improving spacing and team compactness.
- The club heads to promoted Schalke with a perfect record in away league games this season while remaining without a win at home.
- Fischer confirmed four absences for the Schalke match: goalkeeper Robin Zentner is out with a hand injury, and Dominik Kohr, Otto Ruoppi and Silas are unavailable; Silas has returned to team training after a March leg fracture but is not yet fit to play.
- Recent results show Mainz can score freely on the road, as seen in a 5:0 win at Hamburg and a 4:3 win at Gladbach, but they also lost 3:4 to Bayer Leverkusen in a high-scoring encounter.
- Fischer views tactical compactness as the immediate fix to stop leaks at the back, a change that will affect player selection and could shape Mainz’s momentum in the table over the coming weeks.