FIRST TEAM
09/17/2015

Markus Gisdol: "We need to cast off our chains"

It's been a short week of preparation for TSG. After last Sunday's home game against Werder Bremen, Markus Gisdol and his side are back in action on Friday evening in Mainz. achtzehn99.de look ahead to the match with the manager.

Markus Gisdol on...

…the opposition:

Mainz are an aggressive and well-organised side who can switch from defence to attack and vice versa very well. Despite that, we've got a good chance to take something from the game. Even a single point would be a step in the right direction.

…the current situation:

There's no question that we have too few points, but we won't lose our heads, because we're doing a lot of things right. In our four games, we've only played one really bad half – the first half against Bremen. The results should sort themselves out and we'll find our proper selves again, I'm convinced of it. The biggest problem with our current position is its mental effect on the players. We need to sort out a few small things, cast off our chains and play football freely. I'm happy to take the responsibility for it.
The players are still allowed to make mistakes – it's part and parcel of how we play. The team needs some faith. More so than in the past, we need to place the emphasis on the mentality of the team. It's normal to go through difficult periods when you're working together for a long time. It's not always ideal but we're coming through it and we'll recover.

Team news:

Markus Gisdol has an almost full squad at his disposal. Tarik Elyounoussi is the only player he has to make do without: The Norwegian has a thigh muscle injury and will definitely miss out.

Previous meetings:

TSG and FSV have met twelve times in the Bundesliga, with two wins for Hoffenheim, six wins for Mainz and four draws between the sides. Their last meeting ended 2-0 to Markus Gisdol's side in front of their own fans, with Kevin Volland and Eugen Polanski on the scoresheet. The last two meetings in Mainz have ended in 0-0 and 2-2 draws, whilst their last victory over Hoffenheim came in October 2012, when they recorded a 3-0 home win.

Opponents' form:

Mainz have got their season off to a decent start, with two wins and two losses from their opening four games, but Martin Schmidt's side would have been hoping for a bit more. The 1-0 opening-day loss to promoted FC Ingolstadt came as something of a surprise, but they have no cause for concern. Many experts had predicted a hard time for Mainz after the summer departures of key players Johannes Geis, Shinji Okazaki, Ja-Cheol Koo and Joo-Ho Park.

Key battle:

Mainz never stop running, averaging 118.1km in their first four games this season – a league high and 2.4 km more than second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, this statistic isn't necessarily an indicator of success, as is shown by the fact that champions Bayern München occupy 18th place with 108.9km per match. In any case, to have any chance in Mainz, Hoffenheim will have to be ready to run, to close gaps and to play a high-intensity game. As ever, it is impossible to win by remaining static.

Match facts and statistics »

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