05ers go home from Berlin empty-handed

Six top-flight matches played at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei and still 1. FSV Mainz 05 are yet to take all three Bundesliga points home with them from Berlin. The narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Union also meant a second loss in the space of a week for the 05ers. Nadiem Amiri had provided a rapid response to level the game after the hosts went ahead with just 59 seconds on the clock through Benedict Hollerbach. However, the capital club struck again, with Robert Skov converting from 12 yards on 24 minutes to restore the home side’s advantage. That was how the score line stayed, since the 05ers failed to find their rhythm going forward after the half-time break, only showing any sign of rescuing a point in stoppage time at the end of the game.

Suspended 05ers head coach Bo Henriksen made two changes from his team that started the defeat away to Leverkusen. Nadiem Amiri made his return to the side in the capital following his suspension served as a result of the red card he received in Frankfurt. That meant Dominik Kohr moved back into the defensive line from the midfield position he had adopted, with Andreas Hanche-Olsen taking a place on the bench. Armindo Sieb took the place of the injured Jonny Burkardt in attack.

Topsy-turvy opening

FSV suffered a blow right at the start of the game when Danny da Costa’s mistake, losing the ball to Hollerbach as the last man, presented the opposing striker with a golden opportunity to grab the first goal. The forward utilised the one-on-one chance, giving Robin Zentner no chance from ten yards out and making it 1-0 inside the opening minute. However, Mainz were able to hit back almost immediately in what was a breathless start to proceedings. Jae-sung Lee got to a cross from the left-hand side ahead of Aljoscha Kemlein in the box and the defender clipped the South Korea international on the foot, bringing him down and leaving referee Florian Exner with no doubt in his mind as he pointed to the spot for an FSV penalty kick with not even five minutes played. Amiri took on the responsibility and dispatched confidently into the corner beyond the dive of keeper Alexander Schwolow.

Things refused to settle down in the German capital, though. Just a couple minutes after that and Union had a great double chance following a free-kick from the halfway line. Zentner was nevertheless in the way to deny Diogo Leite and then Jordan. Eight minutes later, the visitors received a fantastic chance to complete the turnaround in what had been a high-intensity contest right from the off. Lee won the ball back in the middle of the park before slipping Sieb through on goal but the latter missed the left-hand upright by a matter of inches (15’). That would already have been tough to take for the summer signing, but even more so eight minutes later, since his team then fell behind once again. Dominik Kohr’s timing was off as he attempted to dispossess Hollerbach in his own penalty area, catching the Union attacker on the top of his foot. Now the hosts had the chance to covert from 12 yards and that they did successfully, Skov leaving Zentner little opportunity of making the save with a drilled finish into the corner (23’).

It was only after this that the game’s frantic tempo began to somewhat calm down. Union managed the narrow lead well, while Mainz looked to sure things up at the back. As a result, little goalmouth action followed until shortly before the break. It was not until the 43rd minute that the 05ers came close to a second goal. Kohr got the ball from Amiri before finding Lee who struck towards the target, but the South Korean found that Schwolow was not for beating as the home stopper preserved his side’s lead at the break. The capital club had brought the better intensity of the two teams overall, so despite the fact they trailed in the possession statistic, they never allowed FSV to get into their rhythm and the hosts took a deserved lead into half-time.

FSV lacklustre in attack

The second period began very differently in comparison to the fast-paced start to the match. It wasn’t until just before the hour mark that the intensity and excitement picked up again; however, it was the home who had the next opportunity and a very presentable one at that. Hollerbach was played in on goal from the halfway line and he raced away from the visiting defence before beating Zentner with a chipped finish. It took a goal line clearance from Kohr to stop the ball finding the net (57’). The assistant’s flag did go up for offside, but the slow motion replay showed that the attacker had began his run from his own half, so the goal would have counted had the effort gone in. The Mainz coaching staff responded by making a triple substitution, bringing on Hanche-Olsen, Silvan Widmer and Nelson Weiper for da Costa, Anthony Caci and Sieb for the final half an hour of regulation time. Those fresh legs were unable have make any real impact, though, as Mainz struggled to penetrate an Union defensive block that was sitting deep. With 78 minutes played, FSV were still yet to have registered a second-half shot. In fact, that did not arrive until the first minute of stoppage time, when a deflected Amiri effort from just outside the box went a yard wide. Although Mainz repeatedly launched the ball towards the hosts’ penalty area for the few minutes of the contest that remained, they ultimately failed to produce anything more than a header from Hanche-Olsen that missed the target by some distance. All in all, an equaliser would probably not have been deserved on the back of the performance in the capital.

A third away defeat of the season means the 05ers stay sixth in the standings and on 28 points with 18 matchdays behind them. They welcome VfB Stuttgart to the MEWA ARENA this coming Saturday afternoon (kick-off 15:30 CET).