Jairo: 'Anyone can beat anyone'
Mainz - 1. FSV Mainz 05 starlet Jairo Samperio is finally hitting his stride with Martin Schmidt's side this season: just in time for the visit of Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 9.
Indeed, the 22-year-old's confidence, much like his team's, is underlined by his bullish approach to the weekend’s headline tie. "Apart from Bayern, anyone can beat anyone [in the Bundesliga]," he told Radio Marca on Sunday.
Mainz's impressive start to the season was checked by defeats to Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern München on Matchdays 6 and 7, although Martin Schmidt's men responded by beating SV Darmstadt 98 in a thriller last time out. It was a game in which die Nullfünfers, with Jairo influential, rediscovered the youthful flair and joie de vivre which so characterises their attacking play.
Muto's room-mate
"Yunus Malli's huge ability has taken me by surprise," he added. "As for Muto, his qualities make you think that he’s going to be a really important player for us. I was the first to welcome him here at Mainz when we shared a room."
Eye for goal
While it has taken him a year to settle fully in Mainz, two assists and a goal in the league this season as well as a crucial strike against Energie Cottbus in the DFB Cup underline that the Spaniard is finally finding his feet. "I love being at Mainz," he concluded. "After taking a year to adapt, I notice that it's all going better now." Dortmund have been warned.