Fischer: Strasbourg's ambitions don't scare us
Urs Fischer, coach of the German Mainz 05 football team, warned his players of a potential Strasbourg comeback when the two sides meet in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday.
The German team secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg and are aiming to reach the semi-finals as they seek their first ever European title.
"I expect Strasbourg to start strongly in front of their home crowd, and we must be ready for that by giving our all to avoid elimination from the competition," the Swiss coach said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Mainz's morale was boosted by the return of injured duo Nadiem Amiri and Anthony Kaci, who featured in their 1-0 defeat to Freiburg in the Bundesliga last Sunday. Mainz secured their Bundesliga status despite the loss and moved closer to a European achievement, having languished at the bottom of the German league table when Fischer took over after leading Union Berlin to the Champions League in 2023. Meanwhile, Strasbourg coach Gary O'Neill remained optimistic ahead of the second leg in France.
O'Neill said, "Our priority is to win and take the lead. If we score, the game will change, and our team has several attacking options."