FSV Mainz 05 missed the dream start they had hoped for with new coach Urs Fischer. In the Conference League, the Bundesliga team couldn’t get past a 1-1 (1-1) draw with Polish champions Lech Poznan in the evening. With ten points from five games, the starting position for a direct move into the round of 16 is still good. The decision will be made next week.
In the atmospheric arena in front of 28,139 spectators, even coach Fischer’s good hand wasn’t enough for the longed-for away success. Goalscorer Sota Kawasaki (28th minute) scored the opening goal with his first action after coming on for the injured captain Silvan Widmer.
Former Nuremberg player Michael Ishak equalized for hosts Posen with a penalty kick (41′). Nicolas Veratschnig later saw a yellow-red card (67th), which is why Mainz had to end the game with ten men.
Fischer experienced an emotional evening three days after his introduction as Bo Henriksen’s successor. The long-time coach of Union Berlin, who is supposed to save Mainz from relegation in the Bundesliga, was particularly moved by the decisions of the referees and video assistants.
First, the team of referees led by Romanian Andrei Chivulete overturned Benedict Hollerbach’s second Mainz goal because of an offside position. Shortly afterwards, the video referee reviewed a duel in the penalty area for several minutes and finally decided on a penalty. Ishak took the ball and converted with the well-known Panenka lob.
After the break, Paul Nebel (50th) and Niklas Veratschnig (56th), among others, had chances to score the decisive winning goal, but that didn’t happen in the absence of national player Nadiem Amiri, who was missing due to injury. A short time later, Veratschnig had to leave the field after a tactical jersey pull.
But more important for the 05ers than the points in Europe are the games in the Bundesliga, where the club has fallen to the bottom of the table. Fischer’s Bundesliga return awaits on Sunday with a guest appearance at league leaders FC Bayern Munich.
