Mainz have been a revelation this season, and are now within touching distance of the top four. - © IMAGO/Jürgen Kessler

bundesliga

Surprise package: What are Mainz doing right this season?

27.01.2025

After an underwhelming 2023/24 season, Mainz are now in the running for the UEFA Champions League places. So what's clicking for Bo Henriksen's side this time around?

Henriksen has Mainz sat in sixth place after 19 games, a feat that would have surprised even Mainz fans at the start of the campaign given their struggles last term when they finished 13th with 35 points - just four more than they have now.

So what has changed? Well firstly, there's Henriksen. The Danish coach joined in February 2024 with Mainz in 17th, nine points away from safety.

He had proven his firefighting credentials at previous club FC Zürich, where he took the Swiss side from bottom of the table after 10 games to eighth in the table by the end of the season. At the time of his departure to Mainz, Henriksen had them sitting in third.

Bo Henriksen (r) has been a breath of fresh air since arriving at the MEWA Arena. - IMAGO/Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON

In his time in the Bundesliga he has taken charge of 32 games, winning 15, drawing nine and losing eight.

Now in his first full season in Germany's top flight, Henriksen is certainly making people sit up and take notice of his Mainz side, who have won seven of the last 10. That haul of 21 points is bettered only by the top two of Bayern Munich (25) and Bayer Leverkusen (26) in the same period.

Mainz's attack-minded, high intensity style of play is represented in their results – they last drew on Matchday 9 (0-0 vs Freiburg), meaning it has either been win or bust since.

Watch: Henriksen: "We work really hard"

Such a game plan doesn’t necessarily bring chaos, however. This season, they have conceded only twice following the loss of possession during build-up play, which is the best record in the league.

Overall, they have the third best defence in the league (23 conceded), after Bayern (16) and St. Pauli (21). Part of that defensive resilience is down to goalkeeper Robin Zentner, who has saved 75 percent of the shots that he’s faced so far, a tally bettered only Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp (78).

Robin Zentner has been in fine form between the sticks this season. - IMAGO/Alexander Keppler

Shoring things up at the back has been crucial to their improvement this season, having already conceded 31 goals at this same stage last season.

But they’ve also made great strides going forward, scoring 33 goals with an xG of 29.2, almost four more than statistically expected.

After 19 games last season, Mainz had scored 14 times, which is just two more than captain Jonathan Burkardt alone has this season (12). He’s played an important part in the 05ers becoming more clinical at the top end of the pitch, and is currently the top German scorer in the league, and fourth overall.

Those goals have helped fire them to nine wins, four draws, six defeats and 20 points more than they had at this stage last season. In fact, they’ve actually already won more games than they did in the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign (seven).

Watch: Jonathan Burkardt - Mainz's main man

Before the start of the season, Henriksen stated that “dynamism and power lead to success”, words he also used ahead his side’s 3-2 away win over Augsburg on Matchday 4, where they recorded 30 shots to the host’s five, as well as having 65 percent of possession.

It’s clear then, what coach Henriksen believes to be the magic ingredient to his side’s European charge. Having already witnessed such a vast improvement from last year, only time will tell where it will lead this season.