A slow start and two missed penalties – FSV lose to Union

A less than ideal start to the Bundesliga season: 1. FSV Mainz 05 fell to a 4-1 defeat away at Union Berlin on Sunday afternoon. There were several reasons as to why FSV failed to come away with any points, amongst which were Kevin Behrens’ brace in the first ten minutes, both of Ludovic Ajorque’s penalty misses and his headed effort that hit the woodwork. Anthony Caci got a goal back for Mainz after an hour, but Union found an immediate reply in the form of Behrens’ third goal before Milos Pantovic put the game to bed in injury time in a second half in which Mainz had been the better team. 

“We weren’t at the races in the first ten minutes, it was a poor start. After that, the game was pretty even. Over the course of the whole game we actually had the better chances – two penalties and aneffort that hit the woodwork – than our opponents, so we are to blame in that regard. We aren’t putting any of this on Ludovic – things can happen, and we just need to brush it off and keep plugging away,” Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt told DAZN after the game.

A start to forget

Bo Svensson placed his faith in the same starting XI that he had put out last weekend away at SV Elversberg in the DFB-Pokal. However, the ball ended up in Robin Zentner’s net after just 52 seconds of the new Bundesliga season: Brenden Aaronson set Jerome Roussillon free down the left wing, who put in a perfect cross, leaving Behrens with the simple task of steering the ball into the back of the net with a glancing header. Behrens registered his first goal of the season as his header nestled just inside the far post (1’). This was an early shock which FSV were unable to recover from at first. Almost a carbon copy of the first goal came eight minutes later. Aissa Laidouni put a cross into the box after receiving the ball from Fofana, with Behrens once again rising highest to beat the powerless Zentner for the second time in less than ten minutes (10’). After that, FSV began to match their opponents in terms of their defensive play, having been a clear second-best up until that point, but still didn’t really look like taking the initiative themselves. Zentner was able to show his quality for the first time in the 21st minute as he turned an effort from Fofana around the post for a corner. 

The Zerofivers threatened Union’s goal for the first time after half an hour after Svensson made a first tactical alteration during the drinks break. A cross from da Costa – Lee had released the wing-back with a lovely ball – landed at Barreiro’s feet via Karim Onisiwo, although his shot from eight metres out was blocked by one of the defenders. FSV’s first sight at goal was followed by another opportunity sixty seconds later: This time it came through Caci on the left flank, whose pass was received by Anton Stach. However, his effort was once again blocked, before da Costa fired the follow-up from the edge of the box over the bar (30’). Yet, the hosts did have the more clear-cut opportunities in the last fifteen minutes of the first half as they twice went close to finding a third goal. First, a free kick from Chelsea loanee Fofana hit the crossbar, before Diogo Leite forced Zehnter into a splendid save in added time as the defender tried his luck with a curling effort from twelve metres out (45+2’). Union fully deserved their half-time lead even though FSV had started to find their feet midway through the first half. 

Zerofivers improve after the interview

Both teams began the second half without making any half-time substitutions. The visitors registered the first effort this time around as Onisiwo missed the target following a cross from Caci (50’). The hosts threatened once again at the other end as Behrens managed another effort. However, his header narrowly missed the target, flying a centimetre past the woodwork (52’). Svensson reacted for the first time after exactly an hour, with Sepp van den Berg and Brejan Gruda replacing Dominik Kohr and Onisiwo. Gruda was able to make an immediate impression the last half an hour. The home-grown talent darted into the penalty area and was brought down by Leite, with the referee correctly pointing to the spot. Ludovic Ajorque took on the responsibility as he did in Elversberg, but was denied from the spot by Frederik Rönnow (62’). However, FSV didn’t have to wait long to get a goal back. Only two minutes after the penalty miss, Christopher Trimmel failed to get a sufficient clearance on da Costa’s cross from the right, with Caci firing home a beautiful volley to make the score 2-1 (64’). The hosts’ star man put an end to any hopes of a comeback shortly afterwards. Sheraldo Becker crossed from the right and Behrens scored another header to complete his hat-trick (70’). Was this to be the decisive goal? FSV, having improved markedly after the half-time break, continued to toil away and had further chances. Four minutes after the setback, Ajorque was able to get his head onto a cross from da Costa, although his effort struck the bar on this occasion (74’).

Union took their two goal lead into the final stages of the game as Aymen Barkok replaced Jae-Sung Lee at the beginning of this period (75’). FSV’s head coach made his final changes five minutes later, bringing on Nelson Weiper and Tom Krauß for Stach and da Costa. Caci once again threatened in the final third in an eye-catching attacking display as Robin Knoche was able to repel his effort with a headed block (87’). There was another penalty a minute later for the visitors after Knoche was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area. However, it just wasn’t Ajorque’s day. He showed courage in once again taking responsibility in stepping up to take the penalty, but failed to overcome Rönnow for the second time (88’). Any hopes for a tense end to the game were extinguished as Pantovic made it 4-1 in the last second of the five minutes added on. The host’s win was well deserved on balance, although the final margin may have been slightly exaggerated as a result of the fourth goal. 

The Zerofivers are back in action next Sunday as they take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the MEWA ARENA – once again kicking off at 15:30 CEST. 

Union Berlin – Mainz 4-1 (2-0 at half time)

Goals: 1-0, 2-0 & 3-1 Behrens (1’, 9’ & 70’), 2-1 Caci (64’), 4-1 Pantovic (90+6’)

Mainz 05: Zentner - da Costa (81’ Weiper), Kohr (60’ van den Berg), Bell, Edimilson, Caci - Barreiro, Stach (81‘ Krauß), Lee (75‘ Barkok) - Onisiwo (60‘ Gruda), Ajorque
Referee: Tobias Stieler