Muto puts another record in his back pocket
It was the final act in a dramatic encounter worthy of Broadway as Yoshinori Muto propelled himself into the role of hero for Mainz by scoring a last-gasp equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw with FC Augsburg to secure 1. FSV Mainz 05 an invaluable share of the spoils.
'Priceless'
In the first half, the Japanese international had already bagged a brace to put his side 2-0 in front, but it was with his final effort that the 23-year-old wrote his name in the history books. In his first 11 Bundesliga matches, Muto has scored more often in than any of his Japanese predecessors including former record-holder Shinji Kagawa, who scored ‘just’ five in his first 11 appearances.
"Six goals in 11 games is a good return so far," said Mainz head coach Martin Schmidt after Saturday's edge-of-your-seat encounter. However, a three-goal haul appears to have done little to quench the thirst of the club's top goalscorer. "I'm absolutely delighted, but I'm certainly not satisfied," explained Muto, who picked up a knock in the match. "That didn't hamper me in any way."
Mainz captain Niko Bungert was one of several players to lavish praise on Muto. "When he plays like that, it's incredibly important - he's priceless," said Bungert, who highlighted Muto's positional play, adding that “being able to finish that chance so coolly in the dying stages, despite the pressure that's being put on him, that's pure class."
Cool and calculated
