One point is enough for the big dream: FSV Mainz 05 is back on the European football stage. In the last Bundesliga game of Xabi Alonso as a coach of Bayer Leverkusen, the Rheinhessen only came to a 2-2 (1-0) against the runner -up – with the mistake of competitor RB Leipzig against VfB Stuttgart (2: 3), this was still enough for sixth and the move into the play -offs of the conference League.
Paul Nebel (35th) initially gave Mainz in the lead after the FSV had previously been revoked three goals in a furious initial phase. Patrik Schick (49./Foulelfmeter, 53.) turned the game in the meantime, but Mainz came back through Jonathan Burkardt (63rd, penalty).
While the first qualification for European competition has been achieved in nine years, Bayer set up a Bundesliga record at the final Alonso farewell: for the 34th time in a row, the workself remained undefeated; The club had previously shared the old record of 33 games with Bayern Munich.
While the outgoing Alonso had wistfully emphasized that Bayer 04 would “always stay in my heart”, Mainz-Coach Bo Henriksen, of course, put a focus on the sporty: “This is a big day for us,” said the Dane in view of the attractive European chance. The initial phase impressively demonstrated that his professionals were also motivated until the stop: Andreas Hanche-Olsen (4th), fog (5th) as well as Burkardt and Nebel (7th) in a double chance missed the early lead.
Mainz dominated Leverkusen at will, was wide awake even after a quarter of an hour after a quarter of an hour. However, Anthony Caci was slightly offside before, the gate did not count (15th). The Henriksen team nevertheless stayed on the trigger, met again twice through Jae-Sung Lee (30th) and Andreas Hanche-Olsen (32.)-but again the gates did not recognize the goals. Lee stood out the sidelines, and at Hanche-Olsen’s supposed goal, Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky had already had his hand on the ball before, as Reichel saw on the video images.
Mainz and Leverkusen do not give themselves anything
The FSV did not let himself be put off in front of 33,305 spectators, simply shot the next goal in the person of fog from a pointed angle – and this time there was no objection to the referee, from a point of view. Bayer also made it easy for the committed home side afterwards; In the added time of the first half, Amiri left the big chance to go to the next goal after an Hradecky-Patzer.
But shortly after kick-off, Mainz suffered the next fright, which this time was much of greater scope: Hanche-Olsen took Schick off his legs in the penalty area, the fouled foul convertered the due penalty. Shortly afterwards the game was turned upside down because Schick hit his head. The game remained turbulent, in the 63rd minute Reichel decided again after Var -Check on a penalty, this time for Mainz – and Burkardt kept his nerve.
The game was now completely open, both teams gave themselves nothing. The alleged Mainz winning goal in the stoppage time by Stefan Bell did not count – according to the video images, Reichel decided on handball in the run -up to the goal.