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Freiburg logo
Bundesliga
Apr 18, 2015 at 2.30pm UK
 
Mainz logo

2-3

Mehmedi (81'), Schmid (91')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Okazaki (39', 45'), Malli (84')

Mainz 05 edge out Freiburg in thriller

Shinji Okazaki scores twice as Mainz 05 survive a late fightback to beat Freiburg 3-2 at the Dreisamstadion.

Freiburg missed the opportunity to claim vital points in the battle to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga as Mainz 05 held on for a 3-2 victory at the Dreisamstadion.

Both sides were keen to get onto the front foot in the early stages, and, despite a bright start from Mainz, it was Freiburg who created the first clear chance when Jonathan Schmid's powerful volley was kept out by Loris Karius.

However, the lead belonged to Mainz six minutes before the break when Jairo Samperio sprinted clear on the counter before squaring the ball to Shinji Okazaki, who tapped in the opener from close range.

Freiburg struggled to recover from the setback and, after Samperio sent out a warning by rattling the crossbar, Mainz doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time as Okazaki slotted home his second after Nikolce Noveski's effort had been blocked.

The hosts looked much sharper after the break as they piled the pressure on, but Karius made a crucial save to keep out Nils Petersen's powerful low strike.

Mainz appeared to be cruising to victory until a frantic spell started with Freiburg reducing the deficit through Admir Mehmedi, who capitalised on space to curl an effort into the top corner from the edge of the box.

The visitors restored their two-goal lead just two minutes later when Daniel Brosinski was given the time to deliver a cross which was headed home by Yunus Malli.

However, it looked as though there may be one final twist in stoppage time when Petersen headed the ball into the path of Schmid, who sprinted clear to make it 3-2.

Freiburg lofted a number of dangerous balls forward in the closing stages, but Mainz held firm to secure the win.

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Wolfsburg's Brazilian midfielder Luiz Gustavo (L) celebrates scoring the 1-1 with teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match against FSV Mainz on March 22, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern19153158164248
2Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen19126146262042
3Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt19114444261837
4Stuttgart199553628832
5RB Leipzig199553429532
6Mainz 05Mainz1994633231031
7Wolfsburg198474234828
8Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach198383029127
9Werder Bremen197663336-327
10Freiburg198382636-1027
11Borussia DortmundDortmund197573433126
12Augsburg197482334-1125
13St Pauli1962111721-420
14Union BerlinUnion Berlin195591627-1120
15Hoffenheim194692537-1218
16Heidenheim1942132440-1614
17Holstein Kiel1933132848-2012
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum1924131743-2610


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