1. FSV Mainz 05 remains the team to watch in the Bundesliga, continuing to dream of Champions League qualification. With a 3:1 (1:0) victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, Mainz moved ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt into third place in the standings, at least until Sunday.
Goals from Paul Nebel (39th minute), Dominik Kohr (49th), and Nadiem Amiri (77th) led to the Rheinhessen’s fourth consecutive win. Stefan Lainer scored a consolation goal for Gladbach in the 73rd minute.
Following their fifth home defeat of the season, Gladbach now finds themselves seven points behind Mainz and must intensify their efforts to secure a spot in European competition. Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart could overtake the ‚Foals‘ in the standings this weekend.
Kohr returns and scores
Before this crucial match for European qualification, Gladbach’s coach Gerardo Seoane made four personnel changes. As expected, Jonas Omlin returned to goal after his suspension, while Stefan Lainer and Marvin Friedrich replaced the suspended Joe Scally and Ko Itakrua. A surprise was Kevin Stöger’s selection in central midfield over Alassane Plea.
On the other side, Mainz coach Bo Henriksen only made one change to his starting lineup after the 2:1 victory in Leipzig: Kohr returned from his suspension to replace Andreas Hance-Olsen in the three-man defense and made an impact both defensively and as a scorer.
Slow start to the match
The match began cautiously, with both teams hesitant to take risks. The game featured many sideways passes in midfield, with only one genuine chance emerging: Gladbach’s national striker Tim Kleindienst hit the crossbar with a header in the 26th minute.
However, a notable attack from the previously passive Mainz turned the game on its head just before halftime. Striker Johnathan Burkardt initiated a counterattack in collaboration with Jae-sung Lee, whose cross was converted by Nebel for a surprising Mainz lead.
This was a significant blow for Gladbach, who conceded another goal shortly after the break when Kohr scored again. Mainz displayed effective performance during this period, nearly doubling their lead when Nebel (59th) was denied by goalkeeper Omlin.
Amiri seals the win
After a counterattack, Omlin triumphed in a one-on-one situation against the 22-year-old. Just a minute later, on the opposite side, Mainz’s goalkeeper Zentner saved a potential equalizer from Robin Hack.
Gladbach managed to score a goal through Lainer, who found the net after a weak clearance from Zentner. This sparked an intense final phase for the home team, but Amiri extinguished any hopes for a comeback shortly afterward with Mainz’s third goal.