At TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, concerns about relegation are growing. The 0:1 (0:1) in the Bundesliga game at FSV Mainz 05 was the seventh defeat in a row and the 13th game without a win – a negative club record. In addition, there are still only 19 points for the Kraichgauer who stayed on relegation place 16.
In front of 28,100 spectators, Leandro Barreiro (33rd minute) scored the winning goal for Mainz. With the support of coach Bo Svensson, who has recovered from flu, on the sidelines, the Rheinhessen team was able to celebrate their fourth win in a row and now have 35 points to secure a midfield position.
Mainz, who started the year so brilliantly, initially took a creative break in the first half and initially found it very difficult to build up the game. Only in the 24th minute did the hosts have a double chance to take the lead. But the shots from the opposing penalty area by Leandro Barreiro and Ludovic Ajorque were blocked.
In the second attempt, Barreiro was luckier in the 33rd minute in his 100th Bundesliga game. TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was only able to deflect a shot from Stefan Bell in the direction of the Luxembourger, who volleyed the ball to the inside of the post, from where it bounced into the goal. He also replaced Jae-sung Lee, who had given Mainz a 1-0 lead in all four home games this year. Barreiro almost added the ball just before half-time, but couldn’t quite get his foot away from a sharp cross from Ajorque.
While Mainz were able to fight their way into the game with commitment, the guests from the Kraichgau, who had slipped into the relegation region and were anything but self-confident, lacked the drive, determination and structure to create chances. Only in the 50th minute did Hoffenheim pose a serious threat in front of the opposing goal: 05 goalkeeper Robin Zentner fended off a long-range shot from Dennis Geiger.
In the final phase, the guests became a bit more active, but neither Ihlas Bebou (76th) nor Munas Dabbur (77th) were able to assert themselves against the Mainz defense. Substitute Nelson Weiper (84′) had a good opportunity for the hosts to make it 2-0, but his shot went wide of the far post. One way or another, Hoffenheim remained without a sense of achievement in the fourth game under new coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, who had replaced André Breitenreiter.
Mainz squad Hoffenheim squad Facts and figures about the game
