Mainz and Bremen deliver an intense duel in which there are late goals and in the end there is no winner.
FSV Mainz 05 has extended its winning streak in the Bundesliga to eight games without defeat and can continue to dream of Europe.
The Rheinhessen had to be content with a 2:2 (0:0) against newly promoted Werder Bremen after a crazy final phase, but remain in the table bottom with 41 points in the race for an international starting place.
Ludovic Ajorque put the home side ahead in the 85th minute, which Jens Stage (87th) equalized. After Nelson Weiper’s 2-1 lead (90′ + 3′), Mainz looked like the winners, but Werder struck back again through national striker Niclas Füllkrug (90′ + 5′).
It hadn’t looked like such drama for a long time. Although Mainz started briskly, they were unable to create any chances against the compact Werder defense despite initially having clear field advantages.
The promoted team from Bremen initially relied primarily on counterattacks, but often lacked the necessary precision. Nevertheless, after 20 minutes the guests had the opportunity to take the lead. National striker Niclas Füllkrug failed with a direct acceptance by FSV goalkeeper Robin Zentner, who reacted quickly.
As a result, the level of the battle-focused game flattened out. Much of the action took place between the penalty areas as both teams lacked the necessary creativity. Again and again long balls were hit, which proved to be an unsuitable means. So it almost inevitably went goalless at the break.
Shortly after the change, the ball was in the Bremen goal, but Mainz’s celebration of the supposed lead came too early. Anton Stach was offside at the end of the game, so the goal didn’t count.
The home side did more for the game again and had two good opportunities after the hour. First Dominik Kohr failed with a header at Werder goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka, then Ajorque narrowly missed with a header.
Bremen now came under more pressure and were only rarely able to set their own offensive accents. At Mainz, the inclusion of Jae-Sung Lee had a positive impact. The lively South Korean could hardly be caught and repeatedly initiated dangerous attacks.
However, the Rheinhessen still didn’t want to score a goal because Edimilson Fernandes (71st) also failed to hit Pavlenka from a tight angle. That almost took revenge a little later, when Füllkrug came to the end completely free, but headed the ball into Zentner’s arms.
Otherwise, the 05s were on the trigger. A good ten minutes before the end, Lee failed twice within a few seconds at Pavlenka, who then had to admit defeat. After a scuffle in the penalty area, the ball bounced at Ajorque’s feet, who finished with a dry low shot. Mainz’s joy was short-lived, however, as Stage immediately equalized with a header. In injury time, events then rolled over.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
