Fischer’s mission successful
©IMAGO
1. FSV Mainz 05 made it perfect to stay in the Bundesliga and at the same time increased FC St. Pauli’s relegation worries. The Rheinhessen won 2-1 (2-0) against Hamburg, who have not won since February, and can look forward to their 18th season in a row in the top German league. In front of 29,546 fans in the sold-out Millerntor Stadium, Phillip Tietz (6th minute) and Phillipp Mwene (40th) scored the deserved goals for FSV against completely disappointing hosts. Abdoulie Ceesay’s goal in the 87th minute came too late for St. Pauli.
Powerless, without ideas and without a fight: the Hamburg team put in a very weak performance. The fans whistled at the Kiezklub after 45 minutes. The Hanseatic League have been waiting for a win for eight games and are in danger of missing out on relegation at the end of the season with similar performances. The Mainz rescuer coach Urs Fischer expected a close game before the game. Most recently, the FSV only got one point from the previous games – that should change with the best spring weather in the north.
St. Pauli’s Eric Smith was back in the starting lineup after his comeback last weekend. The Swede, who was sorely missed, was the focus of attention when the first goal was conceded. The powerful Mainz team interrupted a passing combination from the duo of Smith and Hauke Wahl. Sheraldo Becker received the ball and fed striker Tietz, who hit the ball to take the lead. Overall, the hosts defended far too poorly.
The Hamburg team missed a lot after that. Coach Alexander Blessin’s team lacked ideas and force against a callous opponent. In particular, the passes on offense lacked the necessary quality to survive in the Bundesliga. The hosts sometimes lost the ball inexplicably. Mainz missed the next goal after 30 minutes when Nadiem Amiri’s shot attempt was just thwarted after another serious mistake.
A few minutes before the break they did better: again the hosts didn’t seem to be on top of their game. After a long ball, Tietz claimed the ball and played it to Silvan Widmer, who was given far too much space. The captain passed the ball backwards in the penalty area to Mwene, who effortlessly increased the score. Totally deserved. Blessin reacted to the first half with two changes. But the picture didn’t change. St. Pauli did not play equally well. Becker failed to extend the lead. St. Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj parried his header from a cross with his foot.
Mainz then left the ball to Hamburg, but the hosts hardly knew what to do with it. Hamburg also missed a promising counterattack opportunity with two offensives against a Mainz defender. When hardly anyone expected it anymore, Ceesay scored the next goal. But nothing changed about the bitter defeat.
