Kai Havertz earns Bayer Leverkusen their first points of the season
Bayer Leverkusen picked up their first win – and points – of the season and ended Mainz's unbeaten start to the campaign with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal of the game at the BayArena.
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Mainz
Goals: 1-0 Havertz (62')
With Leon Bailey pulling the strings, Leverkusen carved out openings which Lucas Alario was more often than not on the end of, but Florian Müller was rarely tested in the Mainz goal. Bailey fizzed in a shot midway through the first half which Müller turned away, before the guests' custodian was left with stinging palms from Dominik Kohr's effort. For all their efforts, though, the hosts could have gone in at the break behind as Lukas Hradecky was tested for the first time by Levin Öztunali with almost the last kick of the half.
Robin Quaison came on at half-time and he thought he had given Mainz the lead with his first touches, but Video Assist was used to rule out his goal due to handball. His introduction nevertheless sparked Mainz into life, even if it had the adverse effect of prompting a reaction from the hosts which resulted in the opening goal after just over an hour. Julian Brandt's cross was met by the 19-year-old, who headed in his first goal of the season. It was Mainz's turn to respond, and they did so with courage and conviction, but Leverkusen – penned back in their own half for much of the final half hour – held firm for their first win of the season.
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Match stats
- Mainz had their youngest ever starting XI for a Bundesliga fixture, with an average age of 22.8 years. Havertz's eighth Bundesliga goal was only his second at the BayArena, after he scored his first ever Bundesliga goal there 18 months ago. No game between Leverkusen and Mainz has ever ended goalless.Mainz left-back Aaron Martin has attempted the most crosses of any player in the league this season (23).
Line-ups
Leverkusen: Hradecky - Weiser, Tah, S. Bender, Wendell – L. Bender (c) (Volland 72'), Kohr - Bailey (Kiese Thelin 83'), Havertz, Brandt (Paulinho 74') - Alario
Unused subs: Özcan, Dragovic, Jedvaj, Schreck
Absentees: Bellarabi (suspended), Retsos (hand), Aranguiz (knee), Baumgartlinger (ligament), Pohjanpalo (leg)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich
Mainz: Müller - Brosinski, Bell (c), Niakhate, Martin - Gbamin, Baku, Kunde (Ujah 76) - Öztunali (Maxim 82'), Mateta, Burkhardt (Quaison 46')
Unused subs: Zentner, Bussmann, Mwene, Boetius
Absentees: Adler, Berggreen (both knee), Holtmann (Achilles), Latza (fitness), Hack (foot)
Coach: Sandro Schwarz
Watch: Bailey praises Leverkusen's character
As it happened