Danny da Costa rescues a precious point for Mainz against in-form Hoffenheim

Danny da Costa scored a rare goal to earn Mainz a well-deserved point at home to a Hoffenheim side that were on a four-game winning streak on Matchday 11.

Mainz 1-1 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Hanche-Olsen 9' (o.g.), 1-1 da Costa 76'

The visitors' winning run was their longest in over two years – while the hosts had collected just five points from ten games, matching their unwanted club record from 2020/21. 

For Hoffenheim captain Oliver Baumann, the evening marked a special milestone as he made his 500th Bundesliga appearance, becoming only the 14th player in history to reach this landmark. Bo Henriksen's Mainz side, desperate for points to climb out of the relegation zone, were seeking to extend their strong home record against Hoffenheim, having won their previous four encounters at the MEWA Arena.

Oliver Baumann made individual history against Mainz, although he would've liked to celebrate it with a win. - IMAGO/Grant Hubbs

Hoffenheim strike first through unfortunate own goal

Hoffenheim started the match with confidence befitting a team in form, immediately putting pressure on the Mainz defence. Vladimir Coufal had the first attempt within the opening minutes, though his effort flew over the bar.

The visitors continued to probe, with Andrej Kramarić narrowly missing the target from a promising position. Their early dominance was rewarded in the 9th minute when Wouter Burger swung in a cross from the left intended for Fisnik Asllani. 

Andreas Hanche-Olsen rose to clear but only succeeded in nodding the ball past Robin Zentner in goal to give Hoffenheim a 1-0 lead. Mainz responded with their first meaningful attack shortly after, but Benedict Hollerbach squandered a golden opportunity from close range out after good work from Jae-sung Lee.

Fisnik Asllani took the credit it for the goal but it was the unfortunate Andreas Hanche-Olsen who had opened the scoring. - IMAGO/Fotostand / Racocha

About the players

21

Danny

da Costa

1. FSV Mainz 05

Mainz struggle to find rhythm as visitors control first half

The rest of the first half saw Hoffenheim largely in control, though clear-cut chances remained at a premium. Grischa Prömel tested Zentner with a long-range effort, while at the other end, Hollerbach had another half chance that came to nothing. 

As the half progressed, Mainz began to find some rhythm, with a chaotic sequence in the 29th minute seeing Hollerbach's shot blocked after Baumann had spilled a cross. The half-time whistle blew with Hoffenheim deserving their slender advantage.

Mainz failed to capitalise on a goalmouth scramble after Baumann had dropped the ball. - IMAGO/Grant Hubbs

Mainz fight back as da Costa delivers equalizer

Henriksen made two changes at half-time, bringing on Da Costa and Sota Kawasaki for Lennard Maloney and Silvan Widmer. The substitutions had an immediate impact as Mainz started the second period with far greater intensity.

Phillipp Mwene fired over from a promising position in the 58th minute, prompting Christian Ilzer to respond by replacing Kramarić with Tim Lemperle. The game began to open up with chances at both ends – Lemperle struck the post in the 67th minute after a clever move, while Paul Nebel headed over from close range following an inviting cross from Hollerbach.

Mainz's pressure finally told in the 76th minute when Amiri's corner caused chaos in the Hoffenheim box. Hollerbach's initial attempt was blocked, but the ball fell kindly for substitute da Costa, who fired home from close range to level the scores at 1-1.

Danny da Costa's goal was the reward for Mainz's vast improvement in the second half. - IMAGO/Hendrik Hamelau

Dramatic finale as ten-man Mainz hold on for valuable point

The equaliser set up a thrilling final 15 minutes as both teams pushed for a winner. Asllani thought he had restored Hoffenheim's lead when he struck the post in the 79th minute, though the flag was raised for offside.

The match took another dramatic turn in the 88th minute when Dominik Kohr was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Max Moerstedt, but referee Sascha Stegemann upgraded it to a straight red after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor. 

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Mainz defended resolutely through seven minutes of added time. Hoffenheim thought they had snatched victory when Ihlas Bebou headed home in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but the goal was correctly ruled out for a handball in the build-up by Leon Avdullahu. The final whistle confirmed a 1-1 draw – a fair result that ended Hoffenheim's winning streak but gave Mainz a valuable point in their fight against relegation.

Danny da Costa earned his side a valuable point as they look to distance themselves from the bottom of the table. - IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Alexander Neis

Player of the Match: Danny da Costa

Da Costa's introduction at half-time proved to be the catalyst for Mainz's improved second-half display. The versatile defender made an immediate impact, providing energy down the right flank and linking effectively with the attack.

His defining contribution came in the 76th minute when he fired home the equaliser from close range, reacting quickest after Hollerbach's initial attempt was blocked. Beyond his goal, da Costa worked tirelessly in both defence and attack, helping contain Hoffenheim's threatening counter-attacks while also providing an additional outlet going forward. His performance earned him the highest fantasy manager points (250) among Mainz players, a testament to his all-round contribution after coming off the bench.

Da Costa made his manager, Bo Henriksen, a very happy man with that finish. - IMAGO/HMB Media/Claus

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Mainz 1.59 - Hoffenheim 1.65
Fastest player: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 34.3 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Danny da Costa (Mainz), 25.69 percent
Most pressed player: Benedict Hollerbach (Mainz), 28 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Benedict Hollerbach (Mainz), +3.26

Fantasy Heroes: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim, 261 points), Danny da Costa (Mainz, 250 points), Grischa Prömel (Hoffenheim, 242 points)

About the clubs

TSG Hoffenheim

PreZero Arena

1. FSV Mainz 05

MEWA ARENA