Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart made it five consecutive Bundesliga wins with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Mainz, Chris Führich and Deniz Undav helping the hosts recover from the fright caused by Nadiem Amiri's strike from the penalty spot for the visitors.
VfB Stuttgart 2-1 Mainz
Goals: 0-1 Amiri 41’ (pen.), 1-1 Führich 45‘+4 (assist: Vagnoman), 2-1 Undav 80‘ (assist: Nübel)
As Stuttgart welcomed Mainz to their MHP Arena, Sebastian Hoeneß's side entered the match having won their previous four Bundesliga games, which had seen them climb from 12th to third in the table. The hosts were looking to bounce back from midweek disappointment in the UEFA Europa League, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Fenerbahçe.
Mainz, meanwhile, arrived sitting in the relegation zone with just four points from seven matches, having lost their previous three league games.
After a cagey opening period where both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances, the match sprang to life in the final minutes of the first half.
The breakthrough came in the 41st minute when the referee was called to the monitor by VAR to check a potential handball. After review, the official pointed to the spot after determining that a Stefan Bell header had struck Chema Andrés's arm, which was in an unnatural position.
Nadiem Amiri stepped up confidently and rifled his penalty past Alexander Nübel into the left corner to give Mainz the lead. Stuttgart appeared rattled but responded in stoppage time with a moment of individual brilliance from Chris Führich.
The winger received the ball near the left touchline, drove at the heart of the Mainz defence and curled a spectacular effort from outside the box into the bottom right corner past Robin Zentner.
Stuttgart began the second half with renewed vigour as Pascal Stenzel forced Zentner into an impressive save with a cleverly chipped effort.
However, the decisive moment wouldn't arrive until the 80th minute and courtesy of an assist from an unlikely source.
Goalkeeper Nübel spotted Undav's run and launched a perfect long ball over the Mainz defence. Undav, making his first start since August after recovering from injury, and acting as captain on the day, timed his run perfectly to stay onside, before delicately chipping the ball over the onrushing Zentner.
Mainz pushed desperately for an equaliser in the closing stages, with substitute Nikolas Veratschnig coming closest with a header that flashed inches wide of the post in stoppage time, but Stuttgart held firm to secure all three points.
Führich's spectacular equaliser on the stroke of half-time proved pivotal in turning the match in Stuttgart's favour. Beyond his crucial goal, the German winger was a constant threat throughout, completing several successful dribbles and creating multiple chances for his teammates.
Despite being under pressure 17 times during the match - the most of any Stuttgart player - Führich consistently found space to influence proceedings before being substituted in the 72nd minute.
His stunning strike from distance also served as a testament to his clinical finishing ability and technical quality that has made him such an important player for Hoeneß's side.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Stuttgart 1.96 - Mainz 1.83
Fastest player: Benedict Hollerbach (Mainz), 34.72 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Führich (Stuttgart), 2.69 per cent
Most pressed player: Paul Nebel (Mainz), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Nübel (Stuttgart), +3.32
Fantasy Heroes: Nübel (Stuttgart, 328 Points), Undav (Stuttgart, 243 Points), Dan-Axel Zagadou (Stuttgart, 241 Points)