Coach Markus Babbel is hoping for a winning home debut as coach of Hoffenheim when they host Mainz in the Bundesliga on Friday night.

Babbel: New Hoffenheim coach

Babbel was appointed last week following the sacking of Holger Stanislawski and, after starting with a draw at Werder Bremen last weekend, the former Germany international wants to show the club's fans what kind of football they can look forward to with him in charge.

Victory at the Rhein-Neckar Arena would not only get the fans on his side, but it would lift the club to eighth in the table.

"It is a huge motivation for me to get the fans back in the stadium, standing by their team," he said.

"We want a good performance and a win to guide us back into calm waters.

"The lads have trained well and I am really looking forward to my first home match. If we can play like we did in the first half in Bremen, then we can win this game."

Babbel welcomes Ryan Babel back from suspension and he and Sejad Salihovic are two new options for the former Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin coach.

"Sejad and Ryan are quality players, but let's wait and see if they are in the starting XI," said Babbel at the pre-match press conference.

"I am not the kind of coach who announces his team the day before a game - I like to maintain an element of surprise."

Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel says whoever Babbel sends onto the field will be a surprise anyway.

"Whatever the situation there was up until last week, it is now out of the window since the new coach arrived," he said.

His usual in-depth, meticulous match preparation has been rendered worthless given the unpredictability of the Hoffenheim side following their change in coach, but Tuchel is convinced of one thing.

"We are going to have to play our very best game to beat Hoffenheim," he said at a press conference.

Niko Bungert is suspended while Zdenek Pospech is out injured.