Late drama as Mainz held by Bremen

Mainz 2-2 Werder Bremen
Goals: 1-0 Ajorque 85' (assist: Widmer), 1-1 Stage 87’, 2-1 Weiper 90'+3, 2-2 Füllkrug 90’+5

Mainz had the first chances, both falling to Dominik Kohr, but it was a spectacular Füllkrug effort which brought a fine save out of Robin Zentner and earned the biggest cheer of the opening 25 minutes. There was not much else to cheer about in a tense and keenly fought first half, with the hosts growing as the period wore on and felt they should have had a penalty right on the stroke of half-time when Ludovic Ajorque went down in the area, but the referee was having none of their protests.

Anton Stach had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half before Ajorque headed just over Jiri Pavlenka’s goal. It set a much better tone for Mainz, who continued to probe and push Bremen onto the back foot. Jae-sung Lee had two good chances before Ajorque finally broke the deadlock with only five minutes of normal time to go. Bremen failed to clear Lee’s cross and the French striker was in the right place at the right time to hammer the ball home. Mainz’s joy was short-lived, though, as Jens Stage levelled almost instantly. Mitchell Weiser’s cross was helped on by a defender and it was Stage’s turn to be in the perfect place to head in only 81 seconds after going behind. Yet the 05ers would re-take the lead three minutes beyond the 90 when teenager Nelson Weiper swept home from close range after a Lee header was parried. It did not prove to be the winner, though, as Füllkrug broke Mainz hearts at the death, turning in Weiser’s back-heeled pass for a share of the spoils.

• Füllkrug is this season's 16-goal top scorer.
• No other January signing has scored as many goals in 2023 as Ajorque (four).
• Mainz have scored in each of their last 13 Bundesliga games, with only Bayern Munich currently enjoying a longer scoring run (19 matches).
• Their 41 points after 27 games was bettered only once in their Bundesliga history, 44 in 2011.
• This 13th consecutive game with a goal equals the club's top-flight record (early 2012, under Thomas Tuchel).
• Bremen already have more points (32) after 27 games than they did in the whole of their last season in the Bundesliga (31, 2020/21) - but are winless in their last five.

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Mainz: Zentner - Hanche-Olsen, Bell, Fernandes - Widmer (c) (da Costa 88'), Barreiro (Lee 58'), Kohr, Caci - Ingvartsen (Onisiwo 58'), Stach – Ajorque (Weiper 88')
Unused subs: Dahmen, Martin, Hack, Barkok, Burgzorg
Out: Burkardt (knee)
Coach: Bo Svensson

Bremen: Pavlenka - Stark, Veljkovic, Friedl (c) - Weiser, Bittencourt (Schmid 73'), Groß (Gruev 63'), Stage, Jung (Buchanan 63') - Füllkrug, Ducksch (Philipp 73')
Unused subs: Zetterer, Chiarodia, Schmidt, Mbom, Dinkci
Out: Agu (patella tendon), Pieper (ankle)
Coach: Ole Werner