Status: 08/15/2021 5:30 p.m.
A thrown together Mainz team got off to a perfect start against Leipzig. The defensive match plan worked against playfully better Leipzigers. Mainz finally prevailed 1-0 (1-0) against the team of coach Jesse Marsch, whose debut was spoiled with it.
Captain Moussa Niakhaté got the Mainz goal in the 11th minute of the game.
Mainz squad mixed up
After Karim Onisiwos corona infection, which led to a quarantine for other players and parts of the coaching staff and disrupted the Mainz game preparation, coach Bo Svensson was forced to let a thrown together team appear.
Instead of Jeremiah St. Juste, Anderson Lucoqui, Jean-Paul Boëtius, Dominik Kohr and Ádám Szalai, the narrow cup success against Elversberg were still there, started Aarón Martín, Robin Hack, Lee and the talents Niklas Tauer and Paul Nebel.
Leipzig leaves a lot of space for Mainz 05
RB Leipzig initially left the Mainz ensemble, which was primarily concerned with fast switching play, a lot of space on the outer lanes in the 4-2-3-1. Too much space – because Lee hit the post early with his head after a cross from Martín (6th). Only a little later the rewarded himself 1. FSV Mainz 05 already with the lead: RB man Nordi Mukiele’s attempt to defend after a corner landed at Niakhaté, who only had to push in from close range.
Before that, however, Leipzig’s Angelino had also given a big chance. FSV goalkeeper Robin Zentner parried the Spaniard’s shot after a thoughtful through pass from Christopher Nkunku (10th). RB combined at times compliant, but lacked the necessary efficiency in the last third and had problems with the extremely active Mainz team.
Mainz makes a lot out of little possession
Emblematic of the game in the first half: Although Mainz allowed Leipzig to counter opportunities from time to time, Tauer was celebrated frenetically by the 05 fans in the 28th minute after he had Nkunku with a strong tackle in the sixteenth thanks to a courageous sprint prevented.
In terms of play, Leipzig had clear field advantages, especially after the first drinking break, and by the end of the first half had more than 70 percent possession of the ball, while the courageous and hard-defending Rheinhessen found it increasingly difficult to move forward themselves.
RB Leipzig constricts the Rheinhessen – without success
The first big chance belonged to Mainz again after the restart – Nebel failed after a low cross from Silvan Widmer to RB goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi (51) – but Leipzig then literally constricted the 05er. When Mainz had only played just under 200 passes, Leipzig was already scratching the 500 mark, and the Rheinhessen had to do a lot of leg work.
Mohamed Simakan checked Zentner with a direct acceptance (60th), then RB coach Jesse Marsch then brought the offensive forces Hee-chan Hwang and Marcel Sabitzer as well as midfielder Amadou Haidara (64th).
Bell’s volley hit doesn’t count, RB misses chances
Out of nowhere, however, the Mainz team caused a stir again. A fantastic volley from Stefan Bell didn’t count, however – the team of referees had already seen the ball just outside of the match in the previous corner kick (75th).
Towards the end the game got more confused. At first Mukiele had the equalizer for the still playfully dominant Leipzigers (77th), just like captain Willy Orban still had it on his head (86th), on the other hand Jonathan Burkardt missed the second Mainz goal (79th). ). Ultimately, it stayed with the hard-fought Mainz opening victory, which was also thanks to the strong goalkeeper Zentner.
Source: sportschau.de