FSV take three all points at Werder

1. FSV Mainz 05 wrapped up a busy week with a deserved 2-0 away win at Werder Bremen, moving above their hosts in the Bundesliga table. Paul Nebel put the visitors in front early on before Jae-sung Lee added a second shortly after the restart. Bremen’s best chance came in the opening stages, when Leonardo Bittencourt headed against the bar.

The Mainz head coach made three changes from the draw in Olomouc. Captain Silvan Widmer, Jae-sung Lee and Sheraldo Becker came into the side in Bremen in place of Kacper Potulski and William Böving, who both started on the bench, as well as the injured Silas.

Fast start thanks to Nebel and Mwene

It was a lively start to the contest. First, Stefan Posch headed wide from a Widmer cross in the second minute, before Daniel Batz was called into action for the first time two minutes later after Jens Stage prodded a free-kick from a wide area towards goal. Mainz then took the lead with their second chance of the game thanks to a fine move. From a throw-in near the byline, Phillipp Mwene played a one-two with Becker before bursting forward and clipping a delicate cross into the middle. Nebel had lost his man and powered a header home from eight yards to make it 1-0 to FSV after just six minutes. Bremen almost hit back straight away from a corner. Cameron Puertas swung it in, Leonardo Bittencourt met it at full stretch and headed against the bar in the eighth minute. All in all, though, it was the 05ers who looked the sharper side in an entertaining opening spell, showing little sign of tiredness three days on from their Conference League outing in Czechia. Werder struggled to get going and spent long periods chasing the ball. It was only after around 15 minutes that the home side began to settle, winning a series of corners that came to nothing. Their next half-chance arrived in the 22nd minute, when Romano Schmid shook off Posch but saw his effort from the right side of the box saved by Batz.

Both sides had enjoyed their spells before the game lost a little of its rhythm after that Schmid chance. Bremen tried to take control, but rarely managed it. Urs Fischer’s stayed solid and, while less proactive now, still pressed high in phases, keeping the Green-Whites on alert throughout. As a result, there was very little action of note in either penalty area for the rest of the first half.

Becker provides, Lee pounces

Mainz returned unchanged for the second half, while Bremen introduced Justin Njinmah for centre-forward Keke Topp at the break. The home side had the first opening after the restart too. Stage and Schmid combined to find Marco Grüll lurking free on the edge of the box, but his curling effort flashed just wide of the right-hand post in the 48th minute. The 05ers were not fazed by Werder’s bright start, though, and responded immediately. In the 51st minute, Becker delivered a teasing cross from the right and Tietz flung himself at it, only to head wide. Becker did get his assist less than a minute later though. Sano won the ball back in Bremen’s build-up near the halfway line, Tietz helped it on and Becker was away down the right again. His driven delivery was bundled in from close range by Lee, whose slightly fortunate finish was enough to beat Mio Backhaus make it 2-0. The result wasn’t yet beyond doubt, but it was a goal with real effect and it came at exactly the right time.

Bremen needed a while to recover from the blow, having no doubt pictured the opening phase of the second half very differently. It was not until just after the hour mark that substitute Njinmah threatened again, drilling narrowly wide from the edge of the box following a swift move in the 64th minute. Mainz 05 remained disciplined, continued to close down the spaces well and kept finding ways to relieve the pressure going forward. Despite the demanding schedule, the head coach was able to wait until the 72nd minute before making his first changes, with Nikolas Veratschnig and Nelly Weiper replacing Mwene and Tietz for the final stages. With little changing in the flow of the game, the next notable moment was Potulski’s introduction for Widmer nine minutes from time. Werder didn’t create another real chance until the 86th minute, when substitute Salim Musah’s deflected strike from 16 yards only found the side netting. Then in stoppage time, Schmid had one last go from 25 yards against a now deeper-lying Mainz side, but his effort flew over the bar.

A third away win of the season takes FSV onto 27 points after 26 matchdays and lifts them into 13th place in the table. Next up is the Conference League second leg against Sigma Olomouc at the MEWA ARENA on Thursday evening (18:45 CET). Three days later, Eintracht Frankfurt make the short trip to Mainz on Sunday afternoon (15:30 CET).