Mainz and Augsburg faced off in a match that turned out to be a 0:1 no-brainer.
Augsburg wasted no time getting to work and took the lead after just 43 seconds.
Just as Mainz cleared a throw-in as far as Carlos Gruezo, who headed over the defence into the box, a leaping Florian Niederlechner bounced the ball beyond Florian Müller into the net.
Within the first minute, Florian Niederlechner thus scored to push Augsburg a step closer to safety. The goal ended a 10-match drought and set a new personal high of 12 goals this season. Meanwhile, Mainz fell into more threat.
Except on the scoreboard, however, the hosts dominated in every statistical area and knew they had been undone only by an early concentration lapse.
The result leaves the 05ers with three games left, just three points clear of safety. Augsburg, on the other hand, knows that in 2020/21, they’re all but guaranteed Bundesliga football with a seven-point cushion over the play-off relegation spot.
The match was disrupted in the middle of the first half when Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi clashed heads with Felix Uduokhai as they went up for a ball.
After several minutes of treatment, the Nigerian had to be stretched off and was luckily conscious when taken to the hospital.
Earlier, Ruben Vargas shot broad on a counter-attack before Mainz found its feet. Jean-Philippe Mateta came close twice, first seeing an effort cleared off the line by Philipp Max after rounding Andreas Luthe and then seeing a near-range header tipped over from a corner by fast reactions from the goalkeeper.
At the beginning of the second half, however, it was almost deja-vu, as Augsburg came within inches of a second when Vargas had an effort deflected to net roof less than three minutes after the restart.
The Switzerland international then came closest again after the cutback from Noah Sarenren Bazee but was only able to curl his effort far from the post.
Mainz – Augsburg (0:1):
Goals: Niederlechner F. 1′
Mainz: Müller – Mwene (Baku 46’), St. Juste, Niakhate, Brosinski – Barreiro (Boetius 65’), Latza (c) (Fernandes 77′)- Öztunali (Szalai 76′), Quaison, Awoniyi (Onisiwo 23’) – Mateta
Augsburg: Luthe – Framberger (Jedvaj 70’), Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Max – Khedira (c), Gruezo (Oxford 78′) – Sarenren Bazee (Hahn 62’), Richter (Finnbogason 62’), Vargas – Niederlechner (Löwen 70’)
Yellow cards: 41′ Barreiro L., 45′ Uduokhai F., 45+2′ Gruezo C., 62′ Sarenren-Bazee N., 68′ Framberger R., 90+3′ Fernandes E.
