How Mainz became this season's Bundesliga surprise team

In less than a year, Bo Henriksen has turned Mainz from a relegation candidate to a team fighting for a Champions League spot. Here is how they have done it.

It might have been a disappointing result, but the 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen doesn’t mask the fact that 1. FSV Mainz 05 might be the biggest surprise team of the 2024/25 season. It also means that this Gegenpressing journalist might have to eat his words as he predicted a challenging year on a preview podcast earlier in the season. But, perhaps this would always be the likely outcome with Bo Henriksen in charge.

How good have Mainz been this season? With the Hinrunde concluded, Mainz sit in sixth place with 28 points. It is the second-best point total at this point of the season for the club since the 2010/11 season.

That year, Mainz were still coached by a certain Thomas Tuchel and the Bruchweg Boys André Schürrle, Lewis Holtby and Adam Szalai formed the most exciting young attack in German football. Mainz finished the first half of the season in second place with 33 points and eventually finished fifth, two points behind Hannover 96 and just seven points behind third-placed Bayern Munich.

This year, Jonathan Burkardt (12 goals), Jae-sung Lee, and Paul Nebel (both five goals) lead the line. Burkardt, in particular, has been a standout player. The striker is third overall in Bundesliga scoring despite limited playing time due to injuries. The national team striker has scored every 94 minutes in the Bundesliga this season.