Successful dress rehearsal against Montpellier

1. FSV Mainz 05 have won their last pre-season game this afternoon, beating French side Montpellier HSC 3-1. The team celebrated a successful final dress rehearsal ahead of next week’s opening fixture in the DFB-Pokal (Friday, 18:00 CEST) at third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The goals for the 05ers came through Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Phillipp Mwene in an early surge, before Nelson Weiper added a late third just before the whistle.

The Mainz team, who wore their new third kit for the first time, were without captain Silvan Widmer through illness, Tom Krauß (ankle problem) and Karim Onisiwo, who is suffering from a knee injury, although any structural damage has been ruled out.

Fast start for the 05ers

The opening phase of this high-intensity contest clearly belonged to the hosts, whose early two-goal lead was only a matter of time. First, Hanche-Olsen was on hand to meet Nadiem Amiri's pinpoint free-kick from the right side of the pitch and nod home from twelve yards out to make it 1-0 (8’). Just three minutes later, Mwene was rewarded for his energetic pursuit following an unsuccessful attack from the 05ers. The full-back won the ball on the edge of the penalty area and gave French keeper Benjamin Lecomte no chance from the edge of the penalty area (11’). FSV were well on top in this encounter and only just missed goal number three a little later when the visitors’ defence cleared a sharp cross from Jae-sung Lee in the six-yard box at the last minute (14’). However, the aggravated French side soon got into the game and started to make more happen. Although FSV afforded their opponents little to nothing, Montpellier went ahead with just under half an hour played. Arnaud Nordin went down in the penalty area after a duel with Hanche-Olsen, and captain Téji Savanier was ice-cold from the penalty spot, leaving Robin Zentner with no chance (27'). Not much goal-mouth action followed until the half-time whistle from referee Justin Hasmann. The 05ers’ half-time lead may have been narrow, but it was certainly well deserved. 

Hosts miss out on a quick deciding goal 

Bo Henriksson decided to play his first card at the break, bringing on Armindo Sieb for Brajan Gruda. The substitute found himself presented almost immediately with the first big chance of the second period. Anthony Caci showed great vision in the 52nd minute, crossing for the forward, whose unchallenged shot from 15 metres was far too central to cause Lecomte any problems. Five minutes later, Lee caused excitement in the stands when he won the ball in his own half, dribbled 20 metres and then struck the ball just over the bar, lobbing the ball onto the roof of the net from a good 40 metres. It was an attempt that deserved a goal (57'). The visitors then created another opportunity out of the blue, just past the hour mark. However, it was a tricky chance. Akor Adams went it alone from almost the halfway line, heading towards Robin Zentner, then attempting to go around the FSV number one, but ultimately failed to score at the near right-hand post (61’). In the last half hour, the loss of energy in the midsummer temperatures became more and more noticeable. Concentration waned on both sides, not least due to numerous changes, and chances were few and far between. Six minutes before the end, substitute Nelson Weiper made his presence felt again in the French penalty area, but was unable to get the ball on target from twelve meters, with a slight deflection playing its part as well (84’). However, the homegrown player did not miss twice, netting in the final minute. His goal rounded off what was probably the best attack of the afternoon. Stefan Bell won the ball in his own third, Aymen Barkok then found Burkardt, whose sensational pass through the gap in the defence found Weiper. The striker was able to tip it past the goalkeeper to make it 3-1, and that is how it finished.

Mainz 05 - Montpellier 3-1 

FSV: Zentner (63’ Rieß) - Caci (76’ Barkok), Kohr (85’ Edimilson), Leitsch (76’ Bell), Hanche-Olsen, Mwene (63’ Nebel) - Amiri, Sano (63’ Veratschnig), Lee (76’ Weiper) - Gruda (46’ Sieb), Burkardt

Goals: 1-0 Hanche-Olsen (8’), 2-0 Mwene (11’), 2-1 Savanier (28’, Foulelfmeter), 3-1 Weiper (90’)

Attendance: 5,005
Officials: Justin Hasmann (Julian Geid, Maximilian Fischer)