Silva fires Frankfurt past Mainz in Rhine-Main derby

Mainz 0-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Goals: 0-1 Silva (pen. 24'), 0-2 Silva (pen. 72')

Frankfurt began the day nine places and 14 points better off than their hosts, and set about asserting their superiority early on with Filip Kostic wreaking havoc down the left flank. The Serbia winger drew a save from Robin Zentner from a tight angle before Silva opened the scoring from the penalty spot midway through the half, dusting himself down having been felled by Moussa Niakhate. Jonathan Burkardt went looking for a spot-kick at the other end soon after, but referee Bastian Dankert waved his claim away and the sides went in for the break with Die Adler, deservedly, 1-0 to the good.

Erik Durm blazed a first-time, left-footed shot over the Zentner's crossbar soon after the restart before Silva headed an even better chance high of the target moments later. Mainz started to recover their confidence towards the hour, though, and Burkardt was only the width of the post away from restoring parity with a diving header. Mainz felt they should have had a penalty after Djibril Sow's high foot in the area, but it was dismissed after consultation with VAR. The game was put to bed with yet another penalty inside the final 20 minutes, though. Again Niakhate was culpable - this time fouling Martin Hinteregger - and again Silva stepped up to make it two from two and seal a 2-0 win.

• Silva scored his 10th and 11th goals from 14 league starts this season. The Portuguese now has 15 in all competitions.
• Having previously gone nine games without a victory, Frankfurt have now won each of their last three.
• This was Frankfurt's first away win in the Rhine-Main derby in 13 attempts, their previous 12 trips to Mainz returning six defeats and six draws.
• Switzerland midfielder Sow covered a game-high seven miles.
• Mainz now have six points from their first 15 games of the season and have suffered 11 defeats - both negative club records in the Bundesliga.
• New Mainz coach Bo Svensson is the second Dane to coach in the Bundesliga and previously spent 12 years at the club as a player, team supervisor, assistant and youth coach.

Watch: Silva: "We deserved the win"

Mainz: Zentner - St. Juste, Hack, Niakhate - Burkardt (Szalai 85'), Barreiro, Latza (c), Brosinski - Stöger (Onisiwo 73') - Quaison (Öztunali 77'), Boetius (Mateta 77')
Unused subs: Dahmen, Ji, Bell, Mwene, Papela
Out: Kilian (match fitness)
Coach: Bo Svensson 

Frankfurt: Trapp - Abraham (c), Hinteregger, N'Dicka - Durm (Ilsanker 87'), Hasebe (Rode 77'), Sow (Toure 87'), Kostic - Kamada (Barkok 80'), Younes (Zuber 80') - Silva
Unused subs: Schubert, Chandler, Kohr, Tuta
Out: Ache (hamstring), Willems (fitness)
Coach: Adi Hütter