Mainz 05 are a mid-table club in the Bundesliga.
They have not been relegated to the 2. Bundesliga since the 2009/10 season, when theyd been promoted to the first division the season before.
Their record may not be that impressive, as their favourite place to finish in the Bundesliga is 13th.
However, this season could be different for them.
They could end up in the best position they have ever achieved in this Bundesliga period, surpassing the 2015/16 campaign when they finished sixth under Martin Schmidt (their current sporting director).
Mainz currently sits third in the Bundesliga with 45 points from 26 games.
They are also on a run of form, having gone unbeaten in their last six league games, winning four of them.
At that time, they conceded just four goals and scored 11.
The Karnevalsverein also beat Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig this season.
And these are impressive results.
Therefore, it is interesting to analyse the exact reason(s) behind Mainzs success under Bo Henriksen this term.
This article is a tactical analysis of 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the 2024/2025 Bundesliga season.
It covers everything, from their excellent defensive play, thanks to their intense pressing, to their collective danger in attack, thanks to clever positioning and combinations.
Bo Henriksen Intense Pressing Tactics
Under Bo Henriksen style of play, intensity has become a keyword for Mainz, which translates perfectly to their pressing style.
If we examine the passes per defensive action (PPDA) numbers in the Bundesliga, Mainz easily ranks among the top three.
Their PPDA numbers have reached 10.46 so far this season.
For context, PPDA is one of the metrics that can be used to measure pressing intensity.
The smaller the number, the more intense the pressing.
In Mainz‘s case, this means they usually create a defensive action for every 10.46 passes by the opponent in order to win the ball back quickly.
Mainz typically employs man-to-man pressing against the opponents build-up, and they are very aggressive.
Their players can execute effective defensive actions (tackling, intercepting, and duelling) in the opponent‘s half.
This season, Mainz are in the top five for the number of tackles made in the opponent‘s defensive third.
The combination of their i
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