Liberation with Siewert: Mainz secure home win against Leipzig
FSV Mainz 05 recorded their first win of the season in the Bundesliga under interim coach Jan Siewert, defeating RB Leipzig after a great fight. The team from the Rheinhessen won 2:0 (0:0), ending months of misery.
Jae-sung Lee (76th minute) and Leandro Barreiro (82nd) scored in front of 30,100 spectators to provide much-needed relief two days after the self-imposed departure of coach Bo Svensson.
For Leipzig, the week ended with another sporting setback. After the defending champions were knocked out of the DFB Cup during the week, coach Marco Rose's team is also in danger of losing touch with the top flight in the Bundesliga. A largely lethargic and uninspired performance was not enough to score a goal - which was punished by the merciless Mainz side in the closing stages.
An emotional farewell for Svensson
It got emotional even before kick-off when the Mainz fans bid farewell to Svensson and his assistant Babak Keyhanfar. "Thank you for your commitment, Bo and Babak!" read a large banner, and the fans also clapped for the duo once again. The sudden departure of Svensson and the Anwar El Ghazi case, which the club parted ways with on Friday following pro-Palestinian statements on the internet, caused unusual turbulence in Mainz in recent days. And all this in the midst of one of the most serious sporting crises in years.
Interim coach Siewert, who, according to sporting director Christian Heidel, is also being considered for a longer-term commitment, had to manage personnel shortages in an unpleasant wind and persistent drizzle. Stefan Bell, Silvan Widmer and Brajan Gruda were missing through injury. After 20 minutes, Josuha Guilavogui, who was only signed in September, had to come off - on his league debut for the 05ers.
Leipzig dominated the game, but hardly dangerous
As expected, Leipzig were the dominant team and had more of the play even without Timo Werner, who was on the bench. Christoph Baumgartner (20th and 25th) and the otherwise often strong Xavi Simons (28th) shot, but it was not really dangerous.
After the changeover, the 05ers fired their first warning shot: Lee took a shot, but goalkeeper Janis Blaswich had no problems at all. At the other end, Simons tested Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner with a powerful volley from 20 meters (58').
A huge chance from Dominik Kohr caused controversy as two balls were briefly left on the pitch. Mainz continued to defend energetically and Siewert cheered his players' defensive actions with enthusiasm. But it got even better for the 41-year-old: First, Karim Onisiwo broke through on the right and crossed to Lee, who headed the ball into the completely unexpected lead. When Barreiro scored shortly afterwards to make it 2:0 - and the goal counted after a video review - the game was decided.
In the continuation of their unfortunate run, RB Leipzig failed to score against FSV Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga, despite having control of the game. This was a disappointing outcome for Leipzig, who were looking to bounce back after being knocked out of the DFB Cup earlier in the week.
Furthermore, the victory for FSV Mainz 05 under interim coach Jan Siewert marked a significant turnaround for the team, who had been struggling in the Bundesliga prior to his arrival. The win, secured by goals from Jae-sung Lee and Leandro Barreiro, was a much-needed boost for the team, providing relief and improving their position in the league.
Source: www.dpa.com
