Matchday 15 - Mainz still in relegation zone after defeat against Heidenheim
FSV Mainz 05 have once again missed out on a way out of the relegation battle in the Bundesliga. The team from the Rheinhessen lost 0:1 (0:1) against 1. FC Heidenheim and are now without a win in five games. In front of 27,200 spectators, Marvin Pieringer scored the winning goal in the 12th minute for the newly promoted side, who moved up to twelfth place in the table with 17 points.
Mainz, who have not scored for 321 minutes, remain in the relegation zone with nine points and must face Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday to close out the season.
In addition to regular goalkeeper Robin Zentner (finger), the home side were also without captain Silvan Widmer (flu-like infection), defender Anthony Caci (abdominal muscle injury) and midfielder Leandro Barreiro (torn muscle fiber in his thigh). The resulting personnel changes initially had an impact on Mainz's flow of play.
The visitors' early opening goal through Pieringer, who scored from close range after a rebound, further hampered the 05ers. Interim coach Jan Siewert's team lacked courage and ideas. It was therefore not really dangerous in front of the Heidenheim goal in the first half. Three shot attempts by Merveille Papela, Brajan Gruda and Marco Richter did not pose any major problems for the visitors' goalkeeper Kevin Müller.
Heidenheim fight for the points in Mainz
Mainz came out of the break with more bite. They now played with a lot of pressure going forward, causing the newly promoted team to get into trouble for the first time. Ludovic Ajorque (48) had the equalizer on his feet, but his shot landed at the far post. Shortly afterwards, Jonathan Burkardt also hit the aluminum.
Mainz were now well in the game and barely allowed Heidenheim to get out of their own half. However, their major shortcoming remained their lack of finishing. Despite good attempts and chances, the ball just wouldn't cross the line.
The staid visitors defended the narrow lead with sacrifice. Offensively, however, Heidenheim could hardly do anything. Coach Frank Schmidt's team survived a few dicey situations with luck and skill, such as when Richter only hit the outside of the net after a mistake by Lennard Maloney.
Mainz threw everything forward once more in the final phase. This opened up space for Heidenheim to counterattack. The ball found its way into the Mainz goal for the second time in the 90th minute, but striker Tim Kleindienst was offside when he cleared the ball after Florian Pick had hit the post. Nevertheless, the victory was no longer in danger.
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- Despite the absence of Robin Zentner and several other key players, FSV Mainz 05 hoped to secure a crucial win against 1. FC Heidenheim to escape the relegation zone in the Bundesliga.
- Leandro Barreiro, one of Mainz's missing players, was crucial in their midfield, and his absence was noticeable during the match against Heidenheim.
- Marco Richter, another absent player, often provided the attacking spark for Mainz, and his absence left a gap in their attacking options against Heidenheim.
- Mainz's relegation struggle continued as they failed to secure a win against 1. FC Heidenheim, remaining in the Bundesliga's relegation zone.
- With the defeat, FSV Mainz 05 remained stuck at nine points, which puts them in a precarious position in the Bundesliga table.
- The defeat against 1. FC Heidenheim was another blow for Mainz in their soccer league campaign, as they have now gone five games without a win.
- Heidenheim's 1-0 victory in Mainz lifted them to 12th place in the Bundesliga table, putting some distance between them and the relegation place.
- Borussia Dortmund awaits Mainz in their next match, a daunting task for the struggling team, who must deliver a strong performance to avoid slipping further into the relegation battle.
- Jan Siewert, Mainz's interim coach, will have to motivate his players to step up and secure a victory against Borussia Dortmund to salvage their debut season in the Bundesliga.
Source: www.stern.de
