FSV fail to score as Gladbach take all three points

FSV’s first game since the coaching change which saw Bo Henriksen leave the club, ended with another defeat at home. Interim head coach Benjamin Hoffman’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach, thanks to a particularly unfortunate Danny da Costa own goal. The visitors didn’t look like adding to the scoreline, whereas Mainz looked set to equalise through a number of second-half chances. Despite their added attacking impulse after the break, Mainz’s efforts went unrewarded and they leave the MEWA ARENA tonight empty-handed.

Mainz’s interim head coach made seven changes from the side that lost to Freiburg last weekend. Lasse Rieß was replaced by Daniel Batz between the sticks, while Maxim Leitsch joined Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Danny da Costa in the back three after being absent from the squad for a number of games. Up front, Nelson Weiper and first-team debutant Fabio Moreno Fell were given the task of causing a nuisance in Gladbach’s defence.

Leitsch in the thick of the action, Moreno unlucky

It was quite clear early on that Moreno and Weiper would look to operate in behind the Gladbach defence, with both looking to play off the shoulders of the opponents’ centre-backs. Gladbach, who didn’t really know what to expect considering the change of coach in the opposite dugout, started the game cautiously. There was little action in either penalty area in the opening exchanges as a result. The first real chance came after Mainz were caught on the counter following a corner. The ball ended up with Jens Castrop, who beat Daniel Batz from six yards out, but there was Maxim Leitsch to head the ball up and over the bar from off the line. Haris Tabakovic got a flick on the resulting corner, with Leitsch of all people there at the back post to head the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear the danger. The goal was ultimately disallowed following a VAR review (17’). Tabakovic then got on the end of a cross in the 21st minute, but could not convert the chance. 

The hosts slowly began to find their way into the game and managed to create their first chances of the game. Nadiem Amiri crossed to Moreno in the middle, who managed to dig a shot out which hit the crossbar. Just seconds later, a Silvan Widmer cross found the debutant, who then hit the crossbar again with a header. Neither goal would have counted though, as the striker was ruled to have been offside before the first effort. The visitors looked more confident and played with maturity, having clawed their way out of the relegation zone in recent weeks. Both defences stayed solid and there was no further goalmouth action, as the teams went into the break still level.

Weiper misses chance to equalise before da Costa own goal

The 05ers seemed to have woken up during the break, as they began the second half with a fantastic chance. Kaishu Sano won the ball in midfield and played it through to Weiper, who pulled the trigger from just inside the box, but couldn’t beat Moritz Nicolas in the Gladbach goal (48’). FSV longed for the breakthrough, but it was the visitors who took the lead in bizarre fashion just before the hour mark. Batz made a sensational save to deny Castrop, but the veteran ‘keeper was powerless to deny the goal from the resulting corner. The cross found the head of Tabakovic, who headed it into the back of Danny da Costa, with the deflection spinning past Batz and into the back of the net. Mainz fought back and managed to earn a series of corners, but didn’t put too much pressure on the visitors’ goal. Hoffmann reacted shortly afterwards and made an attacking change, bringing Arnaud Nordin on for Phillipp Mwene. The Frenchman made an instant impact, cutting inside and trying his luck from the edge of the box, but Nicolas was equal to it. Weiper had a huge chance to equalise in the 73rd minute, but the Germany U21 international could only glance his close-range header wide after a ball in from Lee.

Hoffmann made two substitutions to start the final exchanges, bringing Nikolas Veratschnig and Benedict Hollerbach on for Widmer and Moreno (76’). Batz was called into action again two minutes later, denying Shuto Machino with a brilliant save. FSV pressed tirelessly, spurred on by the home crowd. The hosts really didn’t do much wrong, but their finishing lacked when it mattered most. Mainz were hit with another stroke of bad luck in the 87th minute, as a Lee effort that looked to be curling into the far corner was headed clear by Nico Elvedi. Lee was then brought off for Sota Kawasaki. Batz had to make another stop in the 90th minute, pushing a Castrop effort over the bar for a corner. The visitors saw the game out and left the MEWA ARENA with a rather fortunate three points.

Next up for the 05ers is a trip to face Lech Poznań in the Conference League on Thursday evening (21:00 CET), before they head to Bavaria to face record Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München.