Bremen continue incredible scoring run against Mainz

Bremen 3-1 Mainz
Goals: 1-0 Rashica (3’), 2-0 Kruse (36’), 2-1 Quaison (52'), 3-1 Kruse (64')

Bremen bounced into this game unbeaten in nine games and wasted little time in tacking the lead against their visitors. Kruse found Rashica with a defence-splitting pass from deep and the Kosovan raced clear before rounding Florian Müller for 1-0. Mainz’s top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta, restored to the starting line-up, nearly replied in fins style minutes later but his chipped effort sailed just wide. Robin Quaison then had a penalty claim waved away but Bremen settled after those scares and took a deserved two-goal lead into the interval, Kruse getting the break of the ball in the box before smashing home a finish that Müller might not have stopped even if he’d had Robin Zentner in goal next to him.

Quaison pulled one back early in the second half after meeting Jean-Paul Boetius’s and poking home from close range, but Bremen always looked comfortable and they restored their two-goal cushion just past the hour when Rashica and Kruse exchanged roles, the former teeing up his captain at the back post to steer home into an empty goal. Jiri Pavlenka was forced into a save late on, but the big Czech proved equal to Quaison's effort and Florian Kohfledt's men escaped with their undefeated record firmly intact.

• Rashica has scored seven times in 2019 alone – only Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric have more this year.
• Kruse has scored six goals in his last four games. With 10 in total, the Bremen captain already has four more than last season.
• Mainz have conceded nine goals in the first 15 minutes this season -  a league high.
• Bremen are the only team in the Bundesliga to have scored in every game this season. Only PSG can say the same of teams playing in Europe’s top five leagues.
• This is the first time Mainz have ever lost four consecutive games under Sandro Schwarz.

Line-ups

Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Veljkovic, Moisander (Langkamp 29’), Augustinsson – Möhwald, M. Eggestein, Klaassen – Harnik (J. Eggestein 60'), Kruse (c), Rashica (Sargent 84')
Unused subs: Kapino, Beijmo, Johannsson, Freidl
Out: Bargfrede (thigh), Bartels (thigh), Osako (back), Pizarro (thigh), Sahin (suspended)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt

Mainz: Müller – Brosinski, Bell (c), Niakhate, Martin – Öztunali (Maxim 46'), Kunde (Ujah 81'), Latza – Boetius – Quaison, Mateta
Unused subs: Zentner, Bungert, Donati, Baku, Onisiwo
Out: Abbas (thigh), Adler (knee), Holtmann (thigh), Mwene (knee)
Coach: Sandro Schwarz

Watch: Rashica: "Amazing to score in every game!"