The FSV Mainz 05 has made the class retention perfect. The Rheinhessen team won on Saturday 3:1 (1:1) against Fortuna Düsseldorf, who had already been rescued, and benefited from the simultaneous defeat of VfB Stuttgart. In the remaining four matches, the Mainz team can no longer slip into the basement of the Bundesliga table.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (1. and 87.) with his seasonal goals eleven and twelve as well as Karim Onisiwo (67.) scored for the hosts. Dodi Lukebakio (19.) scored his tenth goal to equalise the score. The 21-year-old, who also gave a penalty kick (58th), is the first Düsseldorf player since Thomas Allofs in 1990/91 (15th) to score in double figures in a Bundesliga season.
The majority of the 29,205 spectators had reason to cheer early in the summer temperatures. Mateta completed the first attack in Mainz after 36 seconds. Düsseldorf’s Marcin Kaminski had made a decisive mistake in the previous duel against Onisiwo on the right.
But it didn’t take the guests too long to recover from the setback. Benito Raman, who had scored the last three away goals for Fortuna, tested the strong FSV goalkeeper Florian Müller in the 14th minute. Lukebakio then benefited from the hosts’ too passive defensive behaviour from a short distance.
FSV coach Sandro Schwarz, who had celebrated his second league debut as a professional at the 2-0 victory against Mainz in March 1998, had announced the “decision week” in advance. Accordingly, the hosts played more determinedly after the equalization. Onisiwo (23.), Robin Quaison (24.) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (40.) missed the lead again.
However, the visitors, who have not been able to relegate despite their 4-1 defeat against Bayern Munich since last weekend, continued to play offensively. However, coach Friedhelm Funkel’s team initially failed to capitalise on the hosts’ mistakes in building the game.
In the second half the guests were the better team. Düsseldorf came to several counter-attacks over the fast Lukebakio, who was allowed to get to the penalty spot after using the video evidence. Alexander Hack had previously played the ball with his hand, which was only recognized by the video assistant in Cologne. Onisiwo brought the hosts back on track nine minutes later.
