Mainz mount dramatic comeback as hosts climb off the bottom with victory over Wolfsburg
Mainz fought back from an early deficit to defeat Wolfsburg 3-1, with goals from Phillip Tietz, Stefan Bell, and Nadiem Amiri helping the hosts move off the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
Mainz 3-1 Wolfsburg Goals: 1-0 Amoura 3’ (assist: Kumbedi), 1-1 Tietz 68’ (assist: Amiri), 2-1 Bell 73' (assist: Hollerbach), 3-1 Amiri 83' (pen)
Mainz entered this crucial Bundesliga encounter rooted to the bottom of the table, desperate to build on their improvement under new coach Urs Fischer. Despite suffering their first defeat under Fischer against Cologne last weekend (1-2), the hosts welcomed back Benedict Hollerbach to the starting lineup after illness, while new signing Stefan Posch made his first Bundesliga appearance since August 2022.
Wolfsburg, sitting in 12th place with a seven-point cushion over Mainz, were without suspended captain Maximilian Arnold, with Yannick Gerhardt taking the armband and Vinicius Souza slotting into midfield.
Wolfsburg strike early but wasteful Mainz dominate
The visitors stunned the home crowd just three minutes in when Mohamed Amoura finished with a clever backheel from close range after good work from Saël Kumbedi on the right wing.
Mainz responded immediately with Phillip Tietz forcing Kamil Grabara into a save after a poor back-pass, but the Wolfsburg goalkeeper was in inspired form. The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 22nd minute when Jae-sung Lee was bundled over by Souza, but Grabara produced a wonderful right-handed save to deny Tietz's spot-kick.
Mainz continued to push forward, with Hollerbach seeing a shot saved by Grabara in the 30th minute before Denis Vavro made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny the same player deep into first-half stoppage time. Despite dominating with 12 shots—a season-high for a first half—Mainz trailed at the break.
Amiri inspires remarkable turnaround
Fischer made a crucial double substitution in the 65th minute, bringing on Nadiem Amiri for Paul Nebel and Phillipp Mwene for Danny da Costa. The impact was almost immediate, as Amiri's pinpoint corner in the 68th minute found Tietz, who rose highest to head home the equaliser. Mainz were now in complete control, and five minutes later they took the lead when another Amiri corner caused chaos in the box. Hollerbach's header was blocked, but Stefan Bell was quickest to react, firing home from close range.
Hollerbach nearly added a third when his shot struck the crossbar in the 77th minute, before Amiri put the result beyond doubt from the penalty spot after Dženan Pejčinović was penalised for handball. The 3-1 victory lifted Mainz off the bottom of the table and demonstrated their remarkable improvement under Fischer's guidance.
Player of the Match: Stefan Bell
The 34-year-old defender delivered a masterclass as Mainz came from behind to secure a vital victory. Bell not only scored the crucial go-ahead goal, reacting quickest in the box to fire home in the 73rd minute, but he was also outstanding defensively. The Bundesliga veteran, making his 298th appearance in the competition for Mainz, won a game-high 14 challenges and was a commanding presence throughout.
Having scored in consecutive matches after netting against Cologne last week, Bell has become an unlikely goalscoring hero for Fischer's side while maintaining his defensive solidity. His performance earned him a well-deserved Player of the Match award.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Mainz 4.49 - Wolfsburg 0.94
Fastest player: Kaishu Sano (M05), 33.92 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Phillip Tietz (M05), 27 percent
Most pressed player: Benedict Hollerbach (M05), 23 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Kaishu Sano (M05), +3.17
Fantasy Heroes: Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05, 415 Points), Benedict Hollerbach (1. FSV Mainz 05, 262 Points), Phillip Tietz (1. FSV Mainz 05, 250 Points)
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