Alejandro Grimaldo was the star of the match, netting two crucial goals as Bayer Leverkusen triumphed 4-3 against Mainz in a closely contested Bundesliga match on Saturday. The game took place at Mewa Arena during matchday 7 of the season.
Mainz got on the scoreboard first with Lee Jaesung scoring at the 34th minute. However, Leverkusen quickly responded with Grimaldo converting a penalty just 11 minutes into the match, followed by a second goal from the defender less than 40 minutes later at the 48th minute.
Other notable goals from the home team included Nadiem Amiri, who scored a penalty 26 minutes into the second half, and Armindo Sieb, who added another goal right before halftime. For the visiting team, Christian Kofane and Martin Terrier also found the net at the 42nd minute.
Despite the loss, Martin Terrier was recognized as the standout player for Bayer Leverkusen, showcasing his skills with a commendable performance that included a goal.
Mainz’s coach, Bo Henriksen, opted for a 3-6-1 formation featuring Lasse Riess as the goalkeeper, supported by a defensive line of Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Bell, and Danny da Costa. The midfield included Dominik Kohr, Kaishu Sano, Lee Jaesung, Paul Nebel, Nadiem Amiri, and Nikolas Veratschnig, with Benedict Hollerbach leading the attack.
On the other side, Bayer Leverkusen’s coach, Kasper Hjulmand, deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Mark Flekken in goal, backed by defenders Loic Bade, Edmond Tapsoba, Arthur, and Grimaldo. The midfield consisted of Ezequiel Fernández, Jonas Hofmann, Robert Andrich, and Aleix García, while upfront were Ernest Poku and Christian Kofane.
The referee overseeing the action was Florian Exner.
Next up, Mainz will travel to face Stuttgart, while Bayer Leverkusen will host Freiburg at home.
As a result of this match, Mainz remains in 16th place with a total of 4 points, while Bayer Leverkusen climbs to 5th with 14 points in the standings.
Substitutions for Mainz
65’ 2nd half – Nikolas Veratschnig was replaced by Arnaud Nordin and Stefan Bell by Andreas Hanche-Olsen
81’ 2nd half – Lee Jaesung was replaced by William Boving
86’ 2nd half – Benedict Hollerbach was replaced by Armindo Sieb
Yellow Cards for Mainz:
30’ 1st half – Bo Henriksen, 37’ 1st half – Dominik Kohr, 33’ 2nd half – Andreas Hanche-Olsen, 48’ 2nd half – Nadiem Amiri, 50’ 2nd half – William Boving
Substitutions for Bayer Leverkusen
66’ 2nd half – Jonas Hofmann was replaced by Ibrahim Maza
79’ 2nd half – Christian Kofane and Ernest Poku were replaced by Martin Terrier and Eliesse Ben Seghir
Yellow Cards for Bayer Leverkusen:
22’ 2nd half – Edmond Tapsoba, 23’ 2nd half – Alejandro Grimaldo, 36’ 2nd half – Loic Bade, 38’ 2nd half – Eliesse Ben Seghir