Freiburg coast to victory against 10-man Mainz
Freiburg secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Mainz at the Europa-Park Stadion after the visitors were reduced to 10 men inside the opening half-hour.
Freiburg 4-0 MainzGoals: 1-0 Kübler 12', 2-0 Grifo 26' (assist: Höler), 3-0 Manzambi 50' (assist: Suzuki), 4-0 Osterhage 90' (assist: Ginter)Red cards: Nebel 28'
After surrendering a two-goal lead to lose 6-2 against Bayern Munich last weekend, Freiburg were looking to bounce back against a struggling Mainz side. The visitors arrived at the Europa-Park Stadion in dreadful form, winless in seven Bundesliga matches and without a victory at this stadium in four attempts.
Mainz coach Bo Henriksen made nine changes from their midweek UEFA Conference League defeat to Universitatea Craiova, while Julian Schuster made three alterations to the Freiburg side that drew 0-0 with Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League.
Freiburg thought they had taken an early lead when Lucas Höler lobbed goalkeeper Lasse Rieß, but the striker was correctly ruled offside following VAR intervention. The hosts didn't have to wait long for the breakthrough, however. In the 12th minute, Lukas Kübler prodded home from close range after Rieß had spilled Philipp Lienhart's header from a corner.
The goal continued Freiburg's set-piece prowess, having already scored five times from corners this season. Vincenzo Grifo then doubled the advantage in with a composed finish following good work from Höler. Almost immediately after, Mainz's task was made even harder when Paul Nebel received a straight red card for a late, high challenge on Lienhart.
Any faint hopes of a Mainz comeback were extinguished five minutes into the second half when Johan Manzambi extended the advantage further. The midfielder combined brilliantly with Yuito Suzuki before firing into the corner past a helpless Rieß. The visitors, now simply trying to avoid further damage, rarely ventured forward as Freiburg continued to dominate possession and create chances.
Niklas Beste was denied a fourth goal by a brilliant goal-line clearance from Sota Kawasaki, while Manzambi had another strike ruled out for offside. Freiburg eventually added a fourth in the final minute when substitute Patrick Osterhage, a late substitute, tapped in after being set up by Matthias Ginter. The comfortable victory moves Freiburg into the top half of the table, while Mainz remain rooted to the bottom.
Man of the Match: Johan Manzambi
Manzambi continued his excellent scoring form with another goal, having also found the net against Bayern. The 20-year-old midfielder was at the heart of Freiburg's attacking play, facing the most pressure of any player on the pitch (21 times under pressure) while remaining composed.
His goal early in the second half, a clinical finish following a slick one-two with Suzuki, effectively sealed the victory. Manzambi's movement caused problems for the Mainz defence throughout, and he was unlucky not to add a second goal when his 79th-minute strike was ruled out for offside. The young talent justifiably received 40% of the fan votes for player of the match.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Freiburg 4.05 - Mainz 0.18
Fastest player: Christian Günter (Freiburg), 34.54 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-0 by Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), 13 percent
Most pressed player: Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), +3.31
Fantasy Heroes: Lukas Kübler (Freiburg, 348 Points), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg, 340 Points), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg, 330 Points)
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