Mainz trembles in European Cup – bitter disappointment for RB

Crime thriller on the 34th matchday

Despite four crushing goals: Mainz reaches European Cup

Mainz secured participation in the European Cup in a crime thriller on the 34th matchday. The team had to tremble properly, but also benefited from the weakness of the competition.

The 1st FSV Mainz 05 will play in the Conference League in the coming season. On the 34th and last matchday of the Bundesliga season, the Rheinhessen secured sixth place in the table with a 2: 2 (1: 0) against Bayer Leverkusen. A total of four hits were denied to the zero fifers.

RB Leipzig, meanwhile, looks into the tube. The ambitious Saxons lost 2: 3 (2: 1) against VfB Stuttgart and thus remain in seventh place, which is no longer entitled to participate in the European Cup.

Borussia Mönchengladbach also lost to VfL Wolfsburg 0: 1 (0: 0) and FC Augsburg lost 1: 2 (1-0) to 1. FC Union Berlin.

The 05s played furiously in front of 33,305 spectators in the first half and were superior to Bayer in all matters. Paul Nebel did not hit the empty goal after Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukas Hrádecký had a shot from Jonathan Burkardt directly in front of the feet of the offensive player (7th).

Then the Mainz Var madness began: First of all, a goal from Nadiem Amiri, in the opinion of the video images due to a narrow offside position, was aberred in advance (15th). In the 30th minute, a hit by the South Korean Jae-Sung Lee did not count without a VAR intervention. Two minutes later, the ball was in the goal again, but when Andreas Hanche-Olsen was shot, Hrádecký already had a hand on the ball after Var view. But then it was said: Four of all good things and next to hit the 25th minute to 1-0.

After the break, Leverkusens Patrick Schick turned the game with a double pack (49./strafschrink/54.) Before national player Jonathan Burkardt equalized to the final score (63.). In injury time there was huge jubilation in the ranks because the defeat of RB Leipzigs was determined. Nothing changed that a later goal from Bell also did not count due to a handball after video check.

With just 51 points, Leipzig books the worst Bundesliga season. Although Xavi Simons (8th) and Ridle Baku (44th) RB brought the lead in front of 47,800 spectators, Deniz Undav (23rd), Nick Woltemade (57th) and substitute Himbed Demirović (78.) ensured a victory of the guests from Stuttgart.

With this, RB has given its qualification for European competition for the first time in its still young Bundesliga history since the promotion in 2016, after having been qualified for the Champions League in eight years.

Augsburg missed the desired sense of achievement at the end of his 14th Bundesliga season. At the 359th and last Bundesliga game by record referee Felix Brych, the Swabians, who had remained eleven times undefeated, were defeated by 1: 2 (1-0) against Union Berlin at the last second.

Double scorer Andrej Ilic (69.) initially equalized the Augsburg leadership through the strong Phillip Tietz (41.), then he also achieved the winning goal (90.+4).

It remains unclear what effects the fifth game has one after the other without three on the future of coach Jess Thorup. The rumors that he could be replaced by Sandro Wagner despite a contract by 2026 are persistent.

Wolfsburg ended his negative series and celebrated a conciliatory end of the season. The previously nine times winless Lower Saxony won 1-0 (0-0) in Mönchengladbach and thus reached the twelfth place in the table, as in the previous year.

The Gladbach team of coach Gerardo Seoane, on the other hand, also remained in the seventh game in a series without victory in the seventh game and missed a place in the upper half of the table for the fourth time.

After all, this is an improvement by four table places compared to the previous year. In front of 53,048 spectators in the Borussia Park, Lukas Nmecha (51.) scored the goal for the Lower Saxony.