Fast forward two months to February 2026 and now, under former Union Berlin boss Urs Fischer, the picture looks very different. Mainz have only experienced defeat once in nine games across all competitions. Raising the team to 16th place, just one point behind Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg and Hamburg, Fischer has given die nullfünfer a new life and more than a chance to fight to retain their status in the Bundesliga.
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Naturally, after being appointed mid-season, the former Union head coach was tasked with getting straight into the thick of the season. The first was a difficult trip to Lech Poznań on the penultimate matchday of the UEFA Conference League league phase. Despite taking the lead, they did well not to come up empty-handed after Nikolas Veratschnig was given the marching order midway through the second half.
The next step was a visit to undefeated Bayern Munich in a match that promised a baptism of fire in the Bundesliga for the Swiss, although the result would turn out to be the antithesis of what was expected. Leading 2-1 until a controversial Harry Kane penalty with minutes remaining, Mainz gave die recording master their toughest test of the season up to that point and they were left kicking themselves for not converting the performance into the three points.
In that game at Allianz, Mainz deployed a 5-4-1 defensive system that Fischer maintained for the visit of St. Pauli the following week. After the 0-0 draw against Alexander Blessin’s team, the winter break gave Fischer the opportunity to get down to business with his new players on the training ground.
When the league resumed in January, they reverted to the 3-5-2 configuration that had served Fischer so well with Union in the 22/23 season. The tactical reorganization has allowed certain players to thrive during die Nüllfunferparticularly Nadiem Amiri and Jae-Sung Lee. Both attacking midfielders have been given freedom to express themselves and have done so to great effect.
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Fischer has also used crosses and set pieces to great effect since taking over. During the impressive draw against Bayern, Mainz’s equalizing goal came thanks to a precise free kick from William Bøving and a powerful header from young defender Kacper Potulski.
While the goal that saw Mainz take the lead was quite outstanding, captain Stefan Bell collected the ball just in front of the halfway line and then sent a magnificent ball over the top to Jae-Sung Lee, who brilliantly guided his header towards the far post while on the turn. In the 3-1 home win over Wolfsburg, all three goals came from corner kicks: the first two directly and the third thanks to a penalty that Amiri dispatched to Kamil Grabara, who had already saved a penalty earlier in the match.
Mainz’s upward trajectory under Urs Fischer
With momentum gained, the coming weeks will provide a clearer indication of how far Mainz’s revival can take them. A series of matches against fellow strugglers Augsburg, Hamburg and Werder Bremen lie ahead, with each match having obvious significance in the relegation battle. These are the six-point archetypes that can define a season and, for Mainz, they represent an opportunity to climb out of the bottom three for the first time since matchday five.
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What is beyond doubt is the magnitude of the change Fischer has overseen since taking office in December. He has revitalized a group that seemed destined to end the club’s 17-year stay in Germany’s top flight. Now they not only feel confident of survival, but whisper it quietly: the prospect of a Conference League run that could well end with a trophy.
GGFN | good harry