Okazaki inspires Mainz to Hamburg win
Hamburg - Shinji Okazaki turned on the style to earn Mainz all three points with a 3-2 win at Hamburger SV.
Okazaki on fire
Hamburg appeared particularly keen to end 2013 on a high note and, inspired by their captain Rafael Van der Vaart, they took the game to their host, taking the lead after 20 minutes. The Mainz defence was all at sea when Maximilian Beister saw the unmarked Calhanoglu to his left, and the 19-year-old managed to thread his shot past two defenders and goalkeeper Loris Karius to notch his sixth goal in as many games.
Everything seemed to be going to plan, but Okazaki had other ideas. Just two minutes into the second half, he was put through by Yunus Malli, and he beat Jaroslav Drobny with aplomb to bring Mainz level with his seventh of the season – a personal best. Okazaki then delivered his first assist of the season to set up Nicolai Müller to complete the turnaround in less than three minutes.
Van der Vaart soon put Hamburg back on level terms, poking home from close range, before the hosts lost Tomas Rincon to a second yellow card. They then lost a point as Okazaki struck with almost the last kick of the game, his eighth of the season earning Mainz the spoils.
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