On 30 September, one of the matches of the 6th round of the German football championship took place. Mainz (Germany) and Bayer (Leverkusen) met.
German Championship, 6th round
Mainz (Germany) - Bayer (Leverkusen) - 0:3 (0:1)
Goals: Sepp van den Berg (18), Grimaldo (59), J. Hofmann (65).
Warnings: Jaka (4), B. Gruda (75), Richter (90+3).
Bayer Leverkusen secured an emphatic 3-0 win in their Bundesliga match against Mainz 05 at the MEWA ARENA Stadium. The match showed the dominance of Leverkusen, who controlled the game from start to finish, leaving Mainz with virtually no chance of success. In the first half, Leverkusen took the lead as early as the 4th minute thanks to a goal by their player S. van den Berg. Mainz tried to get back into the game, but failed to create any meaningful chances. In the 4th minute, Leverkusen player G. Haka received a yellow card, but it did not affect the game of his team. In the second half Mainz tried to turn the tide of the match, but their attempts were quickly foiled. In the 59th minute A. Grimaldo (Leverkusen) scored the decisive goal, further consolidating their advantage. Mainz tried to get back on track by making substitutions, but it seemed that Leverkusen had an answer for every move of their opponents. In the 65th minute, Leverkusen's J. Hofmann scored another goal, closing any hopes of a Mainz comeback.
Throughout the match, both teams made numerous substitutions, trying to change the dynamics of the game. On 63 minutes, F. Wirtz came on in place of A. Adli, which added freshness to the attacking line. D. da Costa and Lee Jae-Sung came on for Mainz. Towards the end of the match the tension increased, which led to a flurry of yellow cards. FSV Mainz 05 players E. Fernandes, B. Gruda, M. Richter and L. Barreiro received yellow cards in the 58th, 75th, 90th and 90th minutes respectively, indicating their frustration. Mainz made a last ditch effort, making another substitution in the final minutes in the hope of a consolation goal. However, Leverkusen maintained their defence and did not allow Mainz to create any more opportunities. Overall, Bayer Leverkusen's dominance was evident throughout the match. Mainz struggled to break down the opponent's defence and create chances. Leverkusen's composed play and clinical play at the end secured them a convincing 3-0 victory, leaving Mainz with something to think about ahead of their next Bundesliga match.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Borussia M - Mainz, Bayer - Cologne.
| Mainz | Bayer | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 3 |
| 10 | Kicks | 6 |
| 3 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 5 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 5 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 3 |
| 12 | Offences | 11 |
| 3 | Corner | 1 |
| 3 | Offsides | 1 |
| 45% | Ball possession | 55% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 3 |
| 481 | Total assists | 607 |
| 400 | Accurate assists | 527 |
| 83% | Transmission accuracy | 87% |