Bundesliga on Friday
Despite an own goal and a red card: Mainz fought for a draw
Updated 11/21/2025 – 10:42 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Against TSG Hoffenheim, FSV Mainz 05 found themselves on the losing end early on. In the end, the Rheinhessen were still able to celebrate a point.
FSV Mainz 05 scored an important point in the Bundesliga relegation battle. Against TSG Hoffenheim, the 05ers came back from behind to draw 1-1 (0-1) in front of their home crowd on Friday evening.
The visitors took the lead thanks to an own goal. Andreas Hanche-Olsen headed the ball into the Mainz goal (8th minute). Bo Henriksen’s team equalized around a quarter of an hour before the end through Danny da Costa (76th minute).
The home team then had to play the final phase outnumbered. Dominik Kohr was shown the red card after a serious foul on Max Moerstedt (88th). It was Mainz’s ninth dismissal: that’s a Bundesliga record.
At minus three degrees, Mainz initially had little success, the uncertainty of the second-to-last team in the table was omnipresent – and then there was bad luck: Hanche Olsen headed a cross from 14 meters into his own net. In return, Benedict Hollerbach missed the direct answer with his shot too high (10th).
Otherwise, Mainz played very wildly in front of 30,400 spectators and made many inaccuracies. That’s why TSG controlled the game without shining, only Fisnik Asllani tested Robin Zentner once with a low shot (15th). At halftime there were whistles from the stands.
In the second half, Mainz’s offensive game became a little more determined, but both Philipp Mwene (58′) and Paul Nebel’s header (66′) both aimed just too high. The Kraichgauers, for their part, were waiting for counterattacks, but often played them too poorly. Substitute Tim Lemperle left Zentner alone with a huge chance to score the second goal (68′), which da Costa punished after a corner from the fray.
Referee Sascha Stegemann initially only punished Kohr’s foul on Moerstedt shortly before the end with a yellow card. The video assistant helped correct the decision. The defender had stepped on his opponent’s calf with an open sole and the sending off was therefore justified. Shortly afterwards, Sano missed the lucky punch for Mainz (90th + 4). A Hoffenheim goal in the last second by Bebou was not recognized due to a handball (90th + 7th).