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FSV signed off their season with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Mainz took the lead through Marcus Ingvartsen but Eintracht responded with goals from Tuta and Borré before the break. The Dane, however, scored a second just after half time to put The Zerofivers back on level terms. Although there was technically nothing to play for, there was lots of passion on show in this tightly contested derby. Daniel Brosinski was substituted in the 71st minute to bring the curtain down on his Mainz career.
The boss made two changes from the side that faced Hertha last time out. Marcus Ingvartsen came in for the injured Karim Onisiwo (bruised toe) and Silvan Widmer (illness) was replaced by Daniel Brosinski. It was the 33-year-old’s final appearance for Mainz after eight memorable years at the club.
A good start but Eintracht come back into the game
The Zerofivers were looking to finish their season in style and came out the much stronger of the two sides. They looked up for it from the first minute and created some good opportunities, the first of which came in the eighth minute, when Jonny Burkardt tested Kevin Trapp from a tight angle. Their second chance, just two minutes later, resulted in the opening goal. After a good spell of pressure in the Frankfurt penalty area, the ball fell to Ingvartsen who turned and poked the ball past Trapp to give Mainz the lead.
Mainz remained on top but failed to create another goal scoring opportunity. The statistics from the opening 20 minutes confirmed that FSV had been the better of the two sides. The home side had had six shots to Frankfurt’s zero and had won 77 percent of the duels. Despite Mainz’s dominance, Frankfurt got back on level terms with 25 minutes on the clock, when a free kick from the half way line found Rafael Borré, who headed the ball towards goal. Finn Dahmen failed to control it and Tuta stabbed home the resulting rebound to put his side back in the game. What followed was a much more even contest, with both sides looking to take control. In the 35th minute, however, Frankfurt took the lead. A misplaced FSV pass was snapped up by Ansgar Knauff, who found Borré in a good position and the Colombian had no problem beating Finn Dahmen from close range. The Zerofivers had a good opportunity to equalise just before half time, when the ball fell to Anton Stach inside the penalty area. The midfielder, however, fired his volley over the bar. This was the last real action of the half and Mainz went into the changing rooms trailing by two goals to one.
Ingvartsen responds, the luck not on Burkardt’s side
FSV came out for the second half unchanged but Frankfurt were forced to make a substitution, with Jakic replacing Rode. The hosts came out strongly and had a chance to level after just three minutes, when Alexander Hack flicked on a Stach corner towards Jonny Burkardt. The 21-year-old stretched, but couldn’t quite get the desired connection and the chance went begging. Just 60 seconds later, however, Mainz found the equaliser, when Stach’s cross was finished by Ingvartsen. This was the Dane’s second goal of the afternoon and his sixth of the season. The momentum was firmly with the home side after the goal and they had a glorious opportunity to take the lead in the 55th minute, when Burkardt found Aarón on the right hand side. The Spaniard got a good connection and hit the ball across the goalkeeper, but his effort came off the inside of the post and the scores remained level.
The game opened up as the half progressed and Svensson made his first changes, when he brought on Kevin Stöger and Leandro Barreiro for Jean-Paul Boetius and Anton Stach. Things got emotional in the 71st minute when Niklas Tauer came on for Daniel Brosinski, who was making his final appearance for the club. All 33,305 supporters inside the MEWA ARENA rose to their feet to applaud the veteran, who has been a Zerofiver for eight years. It looked as though Jonny Burkardt had given Mainz the lead with just 15 minutes left to play when he bundled the ball into the net after a collision with Trapp. The goal, however, was ruled out for a handball in the build-up. Chances in the closing stages were few and far between, until Stöger had a glorious opportunity to win the game with the last kick of the season. His volley, however, narrowly missed the outside of the post and the game finished 2-2.
Mainz’s draw against the Europa League finalists means they finish the season in eighth position on 46 points.
As well as Brosinski, Jeremiah St. Juste, Kevin Stöger and Jean-Paul Boetius will all leave the club.
