Mainz 1-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach, Mewa Arena
(Neuhaus 38′ — Widmer 76′)
The fact that Mainz ended this game disappointed with a point may just prove how far they’ve come under Bo Svensson. They got a deserved equalizer 14 minutes from time with a delicious finish by Swiss defender Silvan Widmer to keep them fifth in the Bundesliga, but Svensson has increased the expectation levels in Mainz.
Their opponents under the Friday night lights were Gladbach, who are something of reluctant travelers under Adi Hütter. They went into this game having lost four of their five games on the road this season, as they continue to struggle to put in the kind of performances away from Borussia-Park that has seen them gradually climb up the table after a slow start. Say all you want about Mainz’s rise under Svensson, this was another dent in Gladbach’s hopes of challenging for the top four again.
In fairness, Gladbach’s cause wasn’t helped by losing two key players to injury inside the first half an hour. Nico Elvedi and Breel Embolo both limped off, with the latter’s injury looking the more serious of the two, signalling perhaps yet another spell out for the striker. Hütter has the luxury of strength on the bench though, and in Florian Neuhaus and Marcus Thuram, was able to replace quality with quality.
And it was Neuhaus who broke the deadlock, there to pounce from close range after Mainz keeper Robin Zentner spilled an initial effort. Neuhaus became the first substitute to score for Hutter’s Gladbach, whose hopes of a rare win on the road had been boosted.
Gladbach’s opern, scored by Florian Neuhaus, was a moment to forget for Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner.
Mainz came out fighting after the break though. Spearheaded by Jonathan Burkhardt, the 21-year-old striker who may feel a little unlucky not to have been promoted from Germany under-21 captain to the full squad for the November internationals, looked the chief goal threat. He was foiled by Yann Sommer on multiple occasions, with the Swiss standing firm.
Mainz laid siege to the Gladbach goal, with the visitors visibly missing Elvedi, whose organizational skills and leadership at the back is perhaps underappreciated. When the leveler came, it was worth the wait. Widmer found a pocket of space in the box, and send a wonderful, arcing shot into the very top corner. It was the 28-year-old’s first goal for Mainz since swapping Basel in his native Switzerland for the Bundesliga this year. With 51 international caps under his belt and Serie A experience with Udinese, the acquisition of Widmer for €2.5million looks to have been a shrewd piece of business.
“We stopped playing football in the second half,” an irritated Neuhaus told DAZN at full time. “Mainz deserved to equalize in the end. We must have higher standards in away games,” he added.
Widmer’s strike was worthy of winning the game, but Mainz had to settle for just a point. In the end, both teams were a little disappointed with the outcome — better news for Mainz than Gladbach.
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