bundesliga

Nadiem Amiri salvages draw for Mainz with last-gasp penalty against Borussia Mönchengladbach

19.04.2026

Mainz earned a dramatic late point at Borussia-Park, with Nadiem Amiri's late, late penalty snatching two vital points from the clutches of Borussia Mönchengladbach after Joe Scally had given them an early lead.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 1–1 Mainz
Goals: 1-0 Scally 6‘ (assist: Bolin), 1-1 Amiri 90+6’ (pen.)

The contrast between the two sides' recent form was evident heading into this Sunday evening clash at Borussia-Park. Mainz, once bottom of the table, had enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under Urs Fischer since his arrival on matchday 14, collecting 27 points to climb away from danger.

Meanwhile, Gladbach had slipped to 14th, their recent struggles causing several teams to leapfrog them in the standings. Captain Rocco Reitz was making his 100th competitive appearance for the Foals, still searching for his first Bundesliga goal of the campaign despite 39 attempts.

Rocco Reitz made his 100th appearance for Borussia Mönchengladbach against Mainz, but couldn't secure all three points on his milestone game. - IMAGO/Herbertz / Nico Herbertz

Scally strikes early

It was the visitors who carved out the first meaningful opportunity of the match when Anthony Caci delivered an inswinging cross, but Sheraldo Becker could only head over from close range.

Gladbach responded moments later through Scally, who opened the scoring with a composed finish in the seventh minute. Haris Tabaković headed a high ball into the path of Hugo Bolin, who took on his man before laying it off to Scally on the edge of the box. The American opened his body and placed a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner beyond Daniel Batz

Joe Scally opened the scoring with a rare goal for the hosts. - IMAGO/Celina Leiers

Mainz press but can't break through

The goal sparked Mainz into life, and they dominated possession for long periods afterwards. Amiri pulled the strings in midfield, while Becker continued to cause problems with his pace.

Mainz created several opportunities, with Becker testing Moritz Nicolas and Dominik Kohr heading narrowly wide from a corner. The Foals had a golden chance to double their lead when Jens Castrop found himself one-on-one with 'keepr Batz, but the Mainz man came out on top on that occasion.

Jens Castrop was unable to convert a couple of big chances for his side. - IMAGO/DeFodi.de

Late drama rescues Mainz

The second half continued in the same vein, with Mainz pushing forward and Gladbach looking dangerous on the break. Paul Nebel and Phillip Tietz both went close for the visitors, while Castrop was denied by an excellent save from Batz at the other end.

Both managers turned to their benches, with Eugen Polanski making three changes in quick succession to shore up Gladbach's defence. The hosts appeared to be weathering the storm until Nelson Weiper thought he had equalised with a looping header, only for VAR to rule it out for offside.

Just when it seemed Gladbach would hold on, Yannik Engelhardt fouled Phillipp Mwene in the box in the 95th minute. After a brief delay, Amiri stepped up and calmly sent Nicolas the wrong way to snatch a point for Mainz with virtually the last kick of the game.

Nadiem Amiri rescued a point for his side with the last kick of the game. - IMAGO/Celina Leiers

Man of the Match: Moritz Nicolas

Moritz Nicolas continued his impressive season with another strong performance between the posts for Gladbach. The goalkeeper made several crucial saves to keep his side ahead for much of the match, particularly when Mainz ramped up the pressure in the second half.

His positioning and reflexes were excellent throughout, denying Becker, Nebel, and Tietz at various points. While he couldn't do anything about Amiri's well-taken penalty, Nicolas's overall display justified his selection as the Man of the Match, earning him the highest fantasy manager points (269) of any player on the pitch.

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Borussia Mönchengladbach 0.73 - Mainz 2.19
Fastest player: Joe Scally (BMG), 33.62 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Joe Scally (Mönchengladbach), 6 percent
Most pressed player: Anthony Caci (Mainz), 17 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Dominik Kohr (Mainz), 2.68

Fantasy Heroes: Moritz Nicolas (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 269 Points), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz, 252 Points), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 204 Points)