Nikolce Noveski's (2nd l.) first goal this season earned Mainz 05 three points against Fortuna Düsseldorf
Nikolce Noveski's (2nd l.) first goal this season earned Mainz 05 three points against Fortuna Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf suffer first defeat in Mainz

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Mainz - Fortuna Düsseldorf succumbed to their first defeat of the 2012/13 campaign as 1. FSV Mainz 05 got the better of their newly-promoted visitors at the Coface Arena to pick up a third win from their last four matches.

Noveski unmarked

Despite recent positive results, both Mainz and Düsseldorf failed to get a grip on proceedings in their first ever Bundesliga encounter, meaning that goalscoring opportunities were consequently at premium.

The hosts, victors in two of their three last matches, squandered the first opportunity against a deep-lying Düsseldorf side, as Nicolai Müller headed Julian Baumgartlinger's cross wide of the target. The guests looked sharper in possession and were often the more threatening team, as Dani Schahin and Ken Ilsö both went close to scoring from long-range.

Mainz stepped it up a gear after half an hour, as Niko Bungert headed Andreas Ivanschitz's free-kick past the near post before Zdenek Pospech blazed over the crossbar in the lead up to the interval.

The home side maintained their position in the driving seat during a largely uneventful second half, yet failed to benefit from their dominance due to a lack of ideas in the final third. Fortuna keeper Fabian Giefer was forced to prove his worth on three occasions by producing saves to twice deny Ivanschitz and then Müller. However, after Oliver Fink picked up a second bookable offence to reduce the guests to ten men, Mainz's pressure finally told when Nikolce Noveski met Ivanschitz's 85th minute corner with a thumping header to secure all three points for the hosts.

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