Meager zero number between Darmstadt and Mainz
No winner in the neighborly duel: Darmstadt 98 and FSV Mainz 05 drew goalless on matchday 11 of the Bundesliga and remain stuck in the basement of the table. The 17,810 spectators witnessed a match at a very modest level and without any highlights.
The draw does not really help either Hesse (8 points) or Mainz (7), who at least remain unbeaten under interim coach Jan Siewert, in their fight against relegation. However, neither team deserved more than a point.
Darmstadt coach Torsten Lieberknecht was absent for personal reasons. His assistant Ovid Hajou, who had to make do without veteran Tobias Kempe (foot injury) at short notice, initially saw a clearly superior Mainz side on the sidelines.
Following their 2-0 win over RB Leipzig the previous week, the team from the Rheinhessen side were confident from the start and pinned the Lilies back in their half at times. However, the visitors were hardly able to create any chances.
A shot from Leandro Barreiro, which narrowly missed the target, was the only dangerous action in the first half. Otherwise, the 05ers, who were too static in their attacks, ran out of ideas near the penalty area.
As always, the newly-promoted side were strong in terms of running and tackling, but the play was almost non-existent. The Hessians did not have a single shot on goal until the break. As a result, the visitors went into the break goalless.
After the break, the home side played a little more bravely going forward and created their first opportunity. However, Oscar Vilhelmsson's shot was too inaccurate and FSV goalkeeper Robin Zentner did not have to intervene.
However, the standard of the game remained modest. Many duels and misplaced passes on both sides characterized the action. Neither of the rivals, who fought for every inch of space in midfield, were in danger of scoring. And when they did go forward with determination, they lacked the necessary precision, as was the case with a shot from Mainz's Anthony Caci (82').
In the final phase, the home side pushed for the winning goal once again, but it was not to be. Fraser Hornby (88') and Mathias Honsak (90') were denied by Zentner, who saved the visitors from conceding a late goal.
Despite the lackluster performance, SV Darmstadt 98 and FSV Mainz 05 managed to keep their undefeated streak alive in Bundesliga, given their respective coaches' absences. The tie in the duel between the two Hesse-based teams, who drew goalless, left both teams still grappling with relegation concerns. Despite Mainz's early dominance in the match, the game failed to produce any significant scoring opportunities, with neither side breaching the opposition's defense.
Source: www.dpa.com
