FC St. Pauli

David Nemeth on…

…the defeats against Leipzig and Freiburg: "We were very dissatisfied and unhappy with the 1-0 defeat against Freiburg and with the Leipzig game, too. You could see the determination among the players in training today, when everyone got stuck in. We aim to do that at Mainz as well and hopefully we'll come away with something."

…the reasons for the strong defence: "It's always been a hallmark of ours that we defend together with all 11 players. No one slacks off, and it starts from the front. It's hard for teams to score against you when you defend as a unit. Clean sheets are special because they show that 11 players have worked hard off the ball and the plan has come off."

…the motivation to defend: "Preventing a goal is worth just as much as scoring one. We celebrate with each other when one of us has a good moment in defence. That's key for demonstrating how important it is to defend our goal."

…his season so far: "You have to be on it all the time. Getting games with the Under-23s was important for me because it made me realise how crucial playing time is. Eventually you get your chance and you have to be ready to take it."

David Nemeth (here under challenge from Freiburg's Kiliann Silidillia) made six Bundesliga appearances for Mainz in the 2021/22 season.

…assistant coach Peter Németh, who will deputise on the touchline for the suspended Alexander Blessin at Mainz: "Peter will do a good job. Alex and Peter are different characters. They're sure to be in touch with each other during the game. Peter is a cool guy. He's a bit quieter, but always good for a joke, which is what I find very cool about him. He's very motivated and ambitious, and he's very good at coaching players individually. We're always fine-tuning things after training."

…Saturday's matchup of two defensively strong teams: "Mainz are a very good team who defend with all 11 players. Up front they have some great transitional players who are quick and agile, so we'll have to contain them as well as possible. Both teams will give it all they've got. It's going to be a battle."

…prolific Mainz striker Jonathan Burkhardt: "He chases everything down up front, holds the ball up well and has quality in front of goal as well as lots of pace. We'll defend as well as possible as a unit. If they get past one player, another will be there to step in. That's how we have to defend."

…lessons from the 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture: "We have to put the challenges in from the off. That's the best way to get into the game. We can't be happy with the way the reverse fixture went and so I hope we can get a result on Saturday. We'll do our utmost to achieve that."

Photos: Witters