Bundesliga Mainz vs Borussia Dortmund

As the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Mainz held at Mainz City, Germany yesterday, Borussia Dortmund emerged triumphant 2-1 after Gio Reyna scored yet another late winner off the bench, this time against Mainz 05. As the match proved that the home ground do not give always the advantage to the match.

Borussia Dortmund delivered yet another underwhelming performance but got the job done in the end to close the gap to Bayern Munich. The Black and Yellows came away from Mainz 05 with a 2-1 win, courtesy of a late winner from Gio Reyna.

The USMNT international continued his run of scoring clutch goals for his side, as he latched onto Sebastien Haller’s header and found the back of the net to seal a crucial win for his side in the 93rd minute.

Edin Terzic can take plenty of positives and a few negatives from Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Mainz 05.
Werder Bremen, a team in the German Bundesliga, was defeated 7-1 by Cologne on Saturday. They scored an early goal through Amos Pieper, but his mistake in passing led to Cologne’s equalizer just four minutes later when his poor back pass found Kevin Behrens, who fed Janik Haberer for the equaliser.

“It was like being between heaven and hell” Pieper told reporters after the match, “it’s my clear fault.”

Union thought they had taken the lead minutes later, but Sheraldo Becker’s strike was ruled out for a handball by Behrens in the build-up.

Behrens was involved again in the first minute of the second half, heading in a corner while unmarked to give Union a valuable lead in their quest for a first ever Champions League berth.

Fischer Statement about victory

Union manager Urs Fischer praised his side, saying they played “masterful and clever football” ahead of Saturday’s city derby with Hertha Berlin.

Mainz clearly did their homework on Dortmund following BVB’s frenetic 4-3 win over Augsburg on Sunday, aware that their backline is vulnerable if put under pressure. But even head coach Bo Svensson cannot have expected his plan to bear fruit quite so quickly: Jae-sung Lee headed the hosts in front from a corner inside two minutes.

To their credit, Edin Terzic’s charges responded immediately and Ryerson – who was beaten in the air by Lee for the opening goal – made amends with a deflected drive from outside the box to equalise.

Youssoufa Moukoko could have completed the turnaround moments later when free inside the box, but he fired wide with Karim Adeyemi unmarked in the middle. The intensity of the game waned thereafter, with a Donyell Malen shot from the edge of the box that was comfortably saved by Finn Dahmen as close as either side went to adding to the scoreline.

Having been nine points behind Bayern Munich over the winter break, Dortmund had the chance to reduce the gap to just five points following the Bundesliga leaders’ back-to-back draws this year.

Mainz position in Bundesliga

aYet Mainz were in no mood to simply comply. While Karim Adeyemi had a couple of wayward shots for the visitors, Mainz looked the more dangerous side and went close through Karim Onisiwo and Marcus Ingvartsen, who narrowly missed the target.

Terzic responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Sebastien Haller, Gio Reyna and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to reinvigorate his team’s attacks, but it was Mainz who remained the more threatening of the two: Angelo Fulgini should have done better than to curl a shot straight at Gregor Kobel before Aymen Barkok’s piercing volley fizzed wide.

Just as the match appeared destined for a draw, however, Haller flicked on a corner for Reyna to poke in at the back post and snatch a last-gasp win for the visitors.