Brilliant first-half showing helps 05ers to victory over Dortmund

Jubilant scenes at the MEWA ARENA: Mainz have laid down a marker in the fight for Bundesliga survival with a well-timed and well-earned 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in their final home game of the season. A Leandro Barreiro strike and a brace from Jae-sung Lee gave Mainz a commanding lead in an unbelievable first-half performance against the Champions League finalists, who mustered little in response. Although BVB did improve after the break, Bo Henriksen’s side remained firmly in control in the second half. The 05ers’ sixth win of the season sees them leapfrog Union Berlin to move into 15^th place, a position which would allow them to avoid the relegation play-offs. FSV have already avoided the prospect of automatic relegation on the final day.

Nadiem Amiri and Brajan Gruda returned to the Mainz starting XI after serving suspensions, with Ludovic Ajorque and Edimilson Fernandes dropping to the bench. 

05ers get off to a flying start

Dortmund, for whom Marco Reus started in a much-changed lineup, fired off a warning shot after five minutes, though it was easily dealt with by Robin Zentner. Otherwise, the opening exchanges primarily saw both sides attempt to get a foothold in the game, after which Mainz quickly gained the upper hand. The 05ers pushed high up the pitch, pressured an unsteady Dortmund back line, and began to carve out chances. After winning the ball high up the pitch, Gruda was fouled on the edge of the 18-yard box to give the hosts a free-kick in a promising position. Amiri’s effort was superbly struck, but cannoned back off the crossbar. Shortly afterwards, captain Silvan Widmer headed Anthony Caci’s cross just wide of the far post (8’). Henriksen’s team would eventually make their chances count, as Amiri won the ball in the final third and played the ball to Widmer on the right wing, who in turn fed Barreiro at the back post for the game’s first goal (12’). It was a convincing, courageous, captivating start in front of a sell-out crowd at the MEWA ARENA in a crucial game for the 05ers’ survival hopes.

Rather than resting on their laurels, as has perhaps been their tendency in recent weeks, Mainz kept up the pressure and capitalised on two mistakes by the Champions League finalists to extend their lead. First, an underhit pass from BVB ‘keeper Alexander Meyer only made it as far as the quick-thinking Lee, who made no mistake to fire home (19’). The already exuberant mood in the stadium was about to be brought up yet another notch, with the South Korean adding his second after finding himself unmarked in the box to make the most of some fine build-up play from Barreiro (23’). Morey forced Zentner into a save at full stretch on 27 minutes, but for the most part it was only Mainz who showed any real conviction in the first 45. Lee narrowly missed out on making it a hat-trick from a Gruda cross, just before Barreiro’s volley provided a stern test for Meyer. Dortmund began to see more of the ball shortly thereafter, but failed to cause the hosts any real danger, with FSV’s counter-attacking threat always looking the more likely source of another goal, particularly through Gruda. Borussia might even have counted themselves lucky not to be further behind at half-time.

Dortmund improve, Mainz resolute in defence

For understandable reasons, Dortmund came out for the second half having made three changes. Julian Brandt, Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho replaced Morey, Donyell Malen and Salih Özcan. Just as understandably, Bo Henriksen opted not to make any substitutions, and his team carried on where they had left off in the first 45 minutes. Within the first thirty seconds of the half, Burkardt was denied by Meyer from an acute angle, before Gruda and Lee both had efforts blocked. BVB were now growing into the game, and were almost handed a lifeline after a mistake by Widmer, but Youssouffa Moukoko was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the build-up (53’). For the 05ers, who began to sit a little deeper in response to the Dortmund resurgence, the main focus at this stage was on keeping the visitors out, a task they took to with considerable verve in the face of a much-improved attacking showing.

Thanks to a blend of defensive acumen and sheer hard work (and, of course, a touch of luck with the offside goal), Mainz came through this phase of the game unscathed, and by the midway point of the half had begun to create chances of their own one again. Amiri’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked at the last second (66’), as was Caci’s a moment later. The 05ers were able to get further up the pitch once more, particularly on the flanks, while Amiri and Barreiro did an admirable job of patrolling the centre of the park. There were not, in truth, many chances of note at either end as the game rather fizzled out in the closing stages. FSV were more than content with a three-goal lead, while a deflated Dortmund side seemed to already have their attentions fixed on the Champions League. After a well-deserved victory, the 05ers now have their fate entirely in their own hands heading into the final game of the season at VfL Wolfsburg next Saturday.

1. FSV MAINZ 05 3-0 BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Mainz 05: Zentner - Kohr, van den Berg, Hanche Olsen - Widmer (da Costa 77‘), Barreiro, Amiri, Caci (Fernandes 76‘) - Lee (Richter 87‘), Burkardt, Gruda (Weiper 87‘)

Dortmund: Meyer - Morey (Maatsen 46‘), Schlotterbeck, Süle, Wolf - Nmecha (Pohlmann 69‘), Özcan (Brandt 46‘), Reus - Bynoe-Gittens (Wätjen 76‘), Moukoko, Malen (Sancho 46‘)

Goals: 1-0 Barreiro (12'), 2-0/3-0 Lee (19’/23’)

Spectators: 33,305 (sold out)