MX23RW : Tuesday, April 30 18:33:51| >> :600:9794881:9794881:
[monks data]
Nuremberg logo
Bundesliga
Dec 6, 2013 at 7.30pm UK
 
Mainz logo

1-1

Nilsson (5')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Okazaki (75')
Sliskovic (90')

Live Commentary: Nuremberg 1-1 Mainz 05 - as it happened

Live text commentary from the Bundesliga as Nuremberg hosted Mainz 05 but could only manage a draw.
2

Nuremberg made it 15 games without victory to start the new Bundesliga season with a 1-1 draw against Mainz 05, despite taking the lead.

Per Nilsson's header was spilled in by Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius in the first half and despite being on top they could not add a second.

After the break Mainz came into the game slightly more and were level with 15 minutes left to play when Shinji Okazaki nipped between the centre-backs to finish low past Raphael Schafer, which earned a point for the visitors.

Read how the action unfolded below.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Hello Bundesliga fans! The new weekend of action begins right here and round 15 starts with Nuremberg against Mainz 05.

Will it be 15th time lucky for Nuremberg? It's quite incredible that they are not bottom despite being yet to win this season, but their eight draws from 14 games is keeping them above Eintracht Braunschweig on goal difference only.

The visiting Mainz have had a fine start to the season and would move above Hertha Berlin into seventh with even a draw tonight. Their form has been a little inconsistent of late, although Thomas Tuchel won't be too aggrieved that two wins were followed up by defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Right, I'll get the team news right over to you with just over 20 minutes to go until we start.

NUREMBERG XI: Schafer; Chandler, Nilsson, Pogatetz, Plattenhardt; Hasebe, Drmic, Frantz, Kiyotake, Hlousek; Ginczek

MAINZ XI: Karius; Pospech, Bell, Noveski, Park; Geis, Zimling; Polter, Diaz, Muller; Okazaki

So it's an attacking lineup from the hosts as they look for their first win of the season. Daniel Ginczek will lead the line with his height, but there are three very attacking minded players in behind him in Hiroshi Kiyotake, Josip Drmic and Adam Hlousek.

For Mainz it's Shinji Okazaki to lead the line once more, who has impressed in what is a slightly unfamiliar role. Usually he is deployed as the number 10, but has done very well slightly higher up in recent days.

Okazaki is part of the strong Japanese influence on this game. As well as him and Kiyotake, Makoto Hasebe is also on the field. Japanese players do well in this league and I expect either Okazaki or Kiyotake to have a big say in this one.

So who's going to win? It's hard to call. Despite not yet having won, Nuremberg have not been all that bad - although more so recently. They can't score, but I can see it clicking tonight in a narrow win for the hosts.

We're underway then in a very snowy Germany! The winter break is coming a couple of weeks too late it seems.

Good driving run from Hasebe, who chested down and got himself to the byline - potential handball there from Park - but his cross is blocked for a corner. This is where Kiyotake is most dangerous.

GOAL! Nuremberg 1-0 Mainz (Per Nilsson)

That goal will warm the cockles of the home fans! Nilsson heads low from a cross from the left, and really it should be kept out by Karius, but he spills it in and only claws it out once it crosses the line. That is welcome for the hosts.

Nuremberg have started very well and are well deserving of their early goal. The snow is settling on the sides of the pitch so we might well see more direct football from both sides tonight. Mainz cannot get the ball at the moment.

Mainz are definitely looking to break when possible. After some Nuremberg possession Zimling races through the middle and finds Diaz to his left, but the latter gives away a throw.

Not many chances since the goal, but the good news for the players is that the snow has settled a bit. Terrible pass from Geis there, who sliced straight to Drmic. The ball is played to Chandler on the right but ends up going through to Karius.

CLOSE! More awful defending from Mainz. As a cross came in from Chandler it's sliced by Bell, but Hlousek waiting at the far post cannot turn his effort on target.

Good turn of pace on the left by Plattenhardt to get by two markers, but he has nowhere to go with the pass and ends up playing it back into his own half. Mainz come forward on the left through Zimling, but Chandler nips in and then gets pulled down by the winger.

Muller is almost in behind from a counter-attack, but the centre-backs Nilsson and Pogatetz combine to squeeze him out and win the ball back. At the other end a shot from Hlousek is drilled straight at Karius who spills it out but it lands safe.

SAVE! That's a big warning for Nuremberg. Bell advanced right into their half, and managed to find Okazaki who left his marker far too easily. His shot, however, is turned wide before he then heads inches wide from the resulting corner.

Mainz are just starting to build up a little bit of pressure at the moment. Kiyotake comes back well to defend, however, and sets Chandler away. The cross is partially cleared before a free kick goes against Drmic on the edge of the box.

SAVE! Karius finally manages to cling on to the ball. It would have been an own-goal from Pospech, who almost turned a Chandler cross into his own net, but Karius dived to his left to hold on.

MAINZ SUB: Early change for the visitors as Polter makes way for Choupo-Moting. I think it's tactical, that, Polter did not look injured as he stormed down the tunnel.

Little bit of handbags between Nilsson and Okazaki as they went up for a header. It looked fair from both parties but there was a slight clash of heads. They shake hands and move on - I'd fancy the big Swede in a fight, especially with that beard he's sporting.

Almost a brilliant pass from the outside of Kiyotake's boot there, but Diaz got in with a header to clear after the Japanese has turned well on the left. With just over 10 left, the hosts look most likely to score but they are not dominating.

That's the first time that Schafer has had a cross to deal with. Pospech finally gets a bit of room on the right and his cross is ok, but it asks for a big claim and that is exactly what it got by Schafer.

Choupo-Moting's first action in the game is a strike from range that is cleared for a corner. The kick bobbles around in the box a bit and comes off the leg of Noveski, but it's a comfortable save down to his left by Schafer.

Brilliant from Kiyotake, who dummied to shoot before sliding a through ball to Drmic, but a Mainz boot just sticks it behind for a corner. They're starting to ramp up the pressure now, Nuremberg, and they have another corner here.

CLOSE! More incredibly dodgy goalkeeping from Karius! Nilsson is allowed too much space to head goalwards from the corner and what should have been an easy claim up high sees Karius fumble it over the bar. He has oil on his gloves tonight.

Really quick counter-attack by Mainz, with Muller doing really well to bring it away. There was a nasty tackle on Park from Frantz in the build-up to that. I thought on first glance it could have been red!

HALF-TIME: Nuremberg 1-0 Mainz

Park is being helped off the field after that crunching challenge from Frantz. I've seen a replay and it's frankly appalling - he threw himself in with both feet off the ground and ripped through the Korean, who might well have to come off at the break.

Nuremberg do deserve their lead at the break as they have by far been the most dangerous side. Karius has been nothing but a shaky mess in the away goal and Mainz really won't be too disappointed given how little they have created.

Even though Karius has looked willing to concede at any chance, there haven't been many real golden chances at either end. Even the goal should have been kept out as the keeper spilled Nilsson's header.

There has already been a tactical change from the away side and I don't think there will be any more at the break. The snow is coming down again, which I think has contributed to the lack of quality so far.

Here we go for the second half then. I think there are more goals in this one.

Strong start to the half from Nuremberg, who have seen a lot of the ball. That's a disappointing cross from Chandler, though, who cannot pick out one of three red shirts in the box.

Chandler goes down in the box under a challenge from Diaz, but the referee is quick to wave play away. Still Nilsson's goal separates the teams but the hosts are definitely on top early in this half.

OFF THE LINE: Ginczek skips around a challenge and then Karius, but Diaz reads it really well to clear the ball off the line and the visitors survive.

This is an important time of the game here and Mainz are really struggling to keep hold of the ball as they have all game. Nuremberg are pressing high, except against the pace of Choupo-Moting.

SUBS: Benedikt Saller comes on for Zimling for Mainz, while Markus Feulner comes on for Chandler, who cannot quite complete 90 minutes yet.

CLOSE! Nilsson is a real threat from corners and this time his effort is deflected over the bar for another corner. Nothing doing from that one. Nuremberg really will want a second goal soon, before Mainz start to think it might be their day.

BOOKING: Bit of a poor introduction to the gae there from Feulner, who gives the ball away but Mainz cannot work anything from the chance. Park then goes into the book for the third niggly foul in the last 10 minutes or so.

NUREMBERG SUB: Frantz, who has been a walking red card since his booking, comes off for Robert Mak. That's not a direct change and someone will have to drop into a deeper midfield slot - not sure who exactly that is yet.

Ginczek is running the risk of going into the book after a couple of offside calls in recent moments. Both were, I'm afraid to tell him... I"m not quite sure how Schafer can see clearly enough from his own penalty area to claim the decision was wrong!

Mainz now are seeing a bit more of the ball, which was always likely to happen if Nuremberg could not get another goal. Still the hosts are pressing quickly, though, and there aren't any chances yet.

GOAL! Nuremberg 1-1 Mainz (Shinji Okazaki)

Whoops, now I've gone and done it. Okazaki gets space in between the two centre-backs to beat the offside trap. His first touch is good taking it slightly wide, and he finishes low into the opposite corner for an equaliser they scarcely deserve!

The Nuremberg players look gutted. They were beginning to sit ever deeper and they are now staring straight into the face of a Bundesliga record - this would be 15 games to start a season without a win.

SUBS: Sliskovic is on for Okazaki, Pekhart comes on for Ginczek and Aller goes into the book for a clear tug.

The crowd are making a huge amount of noise now as they try to gee the players up for a winner. Nuremberg need every bit of help they can get here. Geis's free kick from wide on the left is poor and easily headed away. Either side could nick this.

Mainz are finishing strongly as Choupo-Moting goes not too far wide with an effort. At the other end Kiyotake almost finds Pekhart with a brilliant backheel but Mainz scramble it clear.

CLOSE! Muller is an inch or two away from getting the contact on a cross from the left that might well have won it. It bounced just more than he anticipated and could not lift his foot high enough.

Schafer is absolutely furious, and I mean he's ANGRY, at Sliskovic, who is down in a heap. The player left a boot in as Schafer came out to gather the ball from him and has stayed down following the incident. Thomas Tuchel is also mad on the sidelines. Three minutes have been announced, too, but he's still down. The ref is waiting with his red card...

RED CARD! Sliskovic is being taken off on a stretcher, but because he could not see it his skipper Noveski has been called over and told. It was very dangerous play and I'm not convinced there's anything in his injury...

Will there be enough time here for a final chance to win the game? I feel not as the ball stays in the middle of the pitch.

FULL-TIME: Nuremberg 1-1 Mainz

Well it was a frantic second half and Nuremberg have now set a new record for the longest streak without a win to start a Bundesliga season. Amazingly, they are not bottom as that was their ninth draw already.

Thanks for joining me for this one. We will have plenty more Bundesliga action tomorrow as well as all the top European leagues. Join us then and overnight for more sporting action. From me, though, it's goodbye.

ID:122533: cacheID:122533:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:22655:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Wolfsburg's players celebrate after scoring the 0-1 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Nuremberg vs VfL Wolfsburg in Nuremberg, southern Germany, on November 23, 2013
Read Next:
Nuremberg, Wolfsburg draw
>
Read more about Nuremberg Mainz 05 Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1St Pauli31189457332463
2Holstein Kiel31194861372461
3Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf31168765362956
4Hamburger SV31157959421752
5Karlsruher SCKarlsruher311310862451749
6Hannover311113753391446
7SC PaderbornSC Paderborn31137114950-146
8Hertha Berlin311291063521145
9Greuther Furth31136124546-145
10Elversberg31117134555-1040
11Magdeburg31910124347-437
12Schalke 04Schalke31107144757-1037
13Nuremberg31107143857-1937
14Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig31104173345-1234
15KaiserslauternKaiserslautern3196164960-1133
16Wehen WiesbadenWiesbaden3188153546-1132
17Hansa RostockHansa Rostock3194182751-2431
18VfL OsnabruckOsnabruck31510162861-3325


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!