METERIt has been a long time since the Mainz team received so much praise. Sebastián gave praise to the penultimate team in the Bundesliga honesty, coach of VfB Stuttgart, third placed in the Bundesliga, two days before the start of the duel between two teams from above and below. Also and above all sharpen the senses of their players for Sunday afternoons.

This is what Hoeneß stated: “It is very difficult to create scoring chances against them. “This is a team that invests an incredible amount.” Playing against Mainz will be a “board” for his team. VfB, who only lost once at home with eight wins and one draw, against the 05ers, who until Sunday had only won one of their twenty league games: the Mainz “board” called up by Hoeneß seemed quite thin.

After all, 1. FSV Mainz 05 started this unequal match with surprising bravery: Caci's shot hit the outside post (minute 2), Papela's shot missed (24th) and the chance from Ngankam, who missed a header from the best position (38th). minute). .).

The impulse to Mainz 05 could have capsized. But after the now customary fifteen-minute interruption in Stuttgart due to the throwing of a tennis ball in protest of the German Football League's search for investors, VfB remembered its higher quality and the first goals arrived: first from Mittelstädt (45º + 2). , then by Leweling (45º+5). Jonathan Burkardt, one of Mainz's best players, complained after the end of the match that his team had “completely lost their minds” after the first goal.

The break was offered by Mainz and their coach Jan Siewertwho, as the statements of the club's directors after the match suggested, must fear for his position or at least for the possibility of recovering his own strengths.

So press boldly offensively, advance in the game without problems and lead the duels with the same force as at the beginning of the game. This project was to be stimulated by three changes: Lee, Barreiro and Richter replaced the too erratic Papela, Kohr and Ngankam. In fact, the match against Mainz now seemed more structured, but not particularly threatening.

The inhabitants of Stuttgart did not care. They celebrated the comeback of their star striker Guirassy (17 goals this season), who returned from the African Cup and the 3-0 with the 14th goal of the season from his teammate Undav, who took advantage of a mistake by Tom Krauß, who had just been replaced. Mainz at least did not give up and scored with a header from Ajorque (76th). The 1:3 still left a feeling of unease in Mainz, who had once again been defeated.