Borussia and 1.FSV Mainz 05 kicked off the seventh Bundesliga matchday with a 2-2 draw. Joe Scally netted a late equaliser for the Foals.
Borussia began the game forcefully and were the dominant team from the start. After a few chances at the beginning, Florian Neuhaus put the Foals in front with a 22nd minute header. The visitors then hit back immediately through youngster Brajan Gruda in the 24th minute. The guests started better in the second period, without initially creating many big chances. From the 60th minute onwards, the match really came to life. Borussia’s attacks became a lot more purposeful again from then on, but they failed to pay dividends. 15 minutes from time, Mainz went 2-1 ahead through Aymen Barkok. Borussia then hit back and had various chances before the match began to lose its flow due to numerous interruptions. Two minutes from the end of the 90, Joe Scally netted a spectacular equaliser and rescued a point for Borussia.
TEAM NEWS
Borussia head coach Gerardo Seoane made no changes to his starting eleven from their first win of the season against VfL Bochum. Moritz Nicolas was in goal for the Foals. The back three was made up of Nico Elvedi, Ko Itakura and Max Wöber. Franck Honorat (right) and Luca Netz (left) were the wing-backs. Julian Weigl, Florian Neuhaus and Rocco Reitz patrolled the midfield once again, while Alassane Plea and Jordan made up the frontline.
As well as goalkeeper Jonas Omlin (shoulder operation), Borussia were missing Tony Jantschke (muscle problems) and Christoph Kramer (ligament strain).
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
9’: The first big chance for Borussia. Jordan flicks the ball onto Plea, and the Frenchman chips just wide of the left post from about nine metres out.
20’: Netz’s corner finds the head of Plea at the far post, who puts it just over the bar.
22’: Borussia take the lead! Honorat feathers a cross into the penalty area from the right. Neuhaus arrives unmarked on the penalty spot and heads the ball into the bottom left corner for 1-0.
24’: We don’t have to wait long for a Mainz response: Fernandes plays a corner on the right to Gruda, who hammers the ball into the top right corner unchallenged from 20 metres out, leaving Nicolas with no chance and it’s 1-1.
SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS
53’: Gruda plays the ball across to Lee. The South Korean strikes too imprecisely and Nicolas is there.
72’: Barkok is through on Nicolas’ goal and pulls the trigger a bit too early. The Borussia keeper holds on easily.
75’. Mainz turn the game around. After quick build-up play, Barkok powers through on the left wing and slots the ball in from a tight angle to make it 2-1.
77’: Honorat’s corner finds Čvančara at the far post. The Czech heads the ball towards goal from close range, but Zentner is equal to it to save with his feet.
88’: Late equaliser for Borussia! Ngoumou heads the ball onto substitute Scally. The American accelerates, beats an opponent and digs the ball into the Mainz net from around 18 metres out. 2-2!
STATISTICS
Borussia: Nicolas - Elvedi, Itakura, Wöber, Honorat, Netz (Scally 79’) - Weigl, Neuhaus (Koné 64’), Reitz (Hack 79’) – Plea (Ngoumou 64’), Jordan (Čvančara 64’) // Unused substitutes: Olschowsky, Chiarodia, Friedrich, Herrmann
Mainz: Zentner – Van den Berg, Bell, Fernandes – Da Costa, Krauß, Barreiro, Caci – Lee, Gruda – Ajorque // Substitutes: Rieß, Barkok, Richter, Guilavogui, Papela, Widmer, Kohr, El Ghazi, Mamutovic
Goals: 1-0 Neuhaus (22’), 1-1 Gruda (24’), 1-2 Barkok (75’), 2-2 Scally (88’)
Yellow cards: Itakura, Koné, Hack / Bell
Attendance: 51.529
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen)
