Mainz refuse to see the Conference League as a burden but rather want to draw confidence from it in their fight against Bundesliga relegation.

The Germans have reached the knock-out stages in Europe for the first time and visit Czech Cup winners Sigma Olomouc on Thursday for the first leg of their last 16 tie. The return leg is next week.

"We want to advance as far as possible. I don't think that worsens our chances in the league," sporting director Niko Bungert said, adding that they "will find a good mix to be successful in Europe and still not to lower our chances in the Bundesliga."

Mainz qualified directly for the knock-outs in seventh place while Olomouc just made the play-offs where they eliminated Swiss side Lausanne-Sport.

In the Bundesliga, Mainz are just above the danger zone in 15th, ahead of St Pauli only on goal difference before Sunday's visit to fellow strugglers Werder Bremen who are one point ahead of them.

Mainz moved out of the bottom three with three straight victories a few weeks ago but have since not won in four matches of which thery drew the last three.

"If we perform well in Europe that also gives us a boost for the league. You can get confidence there. That's what we want to do," forward Paul Nebel said.

Nebel has overcome a modest first part of the season and is back in the starting 11, but partly because influential Nadiem Amiri remains sidelined with injury.

Amiri and Sheraldo Becker will miss the match at Olomouc and coach Urs Fischer stressed his team is not the favourite in the tie.

"We're playing an away game against a strong team and need simply to focus on ourselves. Sigma Olomouc are efficient, dangerous, they will be a hard piece of work," he said in a news conference ahead of the match.

"We want to do well and are looking forward to this task."