Mainz 2 : 1 Augsburg - Mainz extend unbeaten run

Posted Sunday, October 19, 2014 by PA

Mainz extended their unbeaten run to a club record eight games with a 2-1 win over Augsburg at the Coface Arena.

Two goals in three first-half minutes from Jonas Hofmann and Jairo were enough to break down the Bavarians and send Kasper Hjulmand's men up to third without a single defeat in the Bundesliga all season.

Mainz have not now lost since being eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in August - a new club record run of eight matches.

Tobias Werner scored Augsburg's consolation, but they were unable to find a second goal and returned to Bavaria empty-handed.

Shinji Okazaki was denied an early goal when the offside flag was raised as he received a rebound from Hofmann's fifth-minute shot.

Augsburg then started to take control of the game, albeit without being able to break down a well-drilled Mainz defence, who were always ready to launch counter-attacks.

That is how they got their opening goal after 20 minutes when Nikola Djurdjic's pass was intercepted and, within seconds, the net was rippling at the other end of the field.

Hofmann finished it off, nutmegging Paul Verhaegh before sending his shot in.

The goal gave the hosts a visible boost and they doubled their lead soon after, with Verhaegh again at fault. The Augsburg captain played his clearance straight to Jairo, who provided a perfect finish to punish him.

Augsburg tried to respond, but apart from a few tame shots from Werner, they lacked the creativity to cause Mainz's rearguard any serious problems.

At the other end, Okazaki was always looking on the edge of the offside trap for any sniff of goal, although his team-mates seemed happier just defending their lead rather than feeding the Japanese forward.

That was a dangerous tactic and they were warned in the 78th minute when Baba's cross was headed in by Werner, leaving Mainz with only a one-goal lead to defend for the final 10 minutes.

They manage to deflect all of Augsburg's attempts to level, though, to hold on to the three points which lifted them into third.