Mainz will remain in the relegation places for another week after a hard fought 1-1 draw at Heidenheim. Despite Bochum presenting Die Nunfunfer with an escape route having inflicted a dramatic 4-3 defeat on their fellow relegation battlers Union Berlin, Bo Svensson's side could not capitalise.
The visitors took the lead towards the end of the first half following a Jonathan Burkardt goal, his eighth of the campaign. The inform striker with a clinical finish from just inside the box to convert a wonderful Anthony Ceci cross.
However, Heidenheim levelled the game mid-way through the second half and who else but Tim Kleindienst. An excellent delivery from Omar Traore into the danger area was met by the head of the German, who pulled away from his marker and rose above everyone else to score.
Mainz did well to ride the pressure from the hosts, however Frank Schmidt's side came narrowly close to securing the winner late on when his team rattled the bar from a few yards out.
The result is a frustrating one for both sides but more so for Mainz. Svensson's side stay 16th, however they have closed the gap to just one point with 15th placed Union Berlin following their defeat to Bochum.
As the season draws to a close, it seems it will be between Mainz and Union Berlin to battle it out to avoid that relegation play off spot.
Meanwhile, Heidenheim remain in the mix for the European Conference League, three points behind seventh placed Freiburg.
Story of the match
Even though their 1-0 victory over Darmstadt last week secured safety for Heidenheim, Frank Schmidt’s side named a strong team with just one change to face Mainz as they eye Europe.
Despite claims that central midfielder Kevin Sessa would be sidelined until late May with a calf injury picked up against Darmstadt, he was a surprise inclusion in Die Schanzer’s starting line-up.
Veteran defender Norman Theuerkauf fell to the bench, while full-back Omar Traore returned to first-team action following his red card suspension sustained in the 2-1 loss to RB Leipzig.
On the other hand, there were four changes for Bo Svensson’s side after their disappointing 1-1 draw against Koln last week.
Sivan Widmer replaced Phillip Mwene at full-back after the Austrian received his marching orders in added time against Hoffenheim.
Defensive midfielder Nadiem Amiri and winger Brajan Gruda were suspended for amassing five yellow cards; Edimilson Fernandes and Ludovic Ajorque were given starts in their absence.
However, the visitors were boosted by the return of Jae Sung-Lee from suspension; Karim Onisiwo made way and did not feature on the bench after breaking three fingers at Koln.
It was a scrappy start to proceedings, as expected from two extremely physical sides. As the teams got settled, the danger of the Heidenheim counter-attack became apparent and presented the first opportunity of the game for the hosts.
Eren Dinkci received the ball on the inside channel and was able to drive 15-20 yards in acres of space unchallenged by Mainz; his strike from distance was parried by goalkeeper Robin Zentner.
Soon after, Jan-Niklas Beste embarked on one of his trademark runs, hugging the touchline and combining well with Marvin Peringer. The 24-year-old striker found himself one-on-one with Sepp Van Den Berg in the box but lost his footing and had his appeals for a penalty waved away.
Despite the strong start from the hosts, Mainz began to demonstrate the effectiveness of their build-up play, probing the Heidenheim backline.
The first chance of the evening for the visitors fell to the returning Lee in the 17th minute. The duo of Barriero Martins and Jonathan Burkardt combined to thread through right-back Widmer, whose cross was glanced wide of the far post by Lee.
As the first half progressed, Mainz’s high press was causing Heidenheim problems, forcing the turnover of possession high up the pitch. While Die Schanzer seemed to have no option but to go long to bypass it.
Martins has committed the second-most fouls in the Bundesliga this season and received yet another caution for deliberately disrupting the Heidenheim counter-attack just after the 20th minute.
Mainz had enjoyed a dominant spell as the match approached the half-hour mark but nearly got caught off guard by a simple ball over the top. Omar Traore spotted the run of Kleindienst between the two centre-backs and delivered an inch-perfect ball, which was brought down exceptionally well by the striker; however, he could not pock the ball past the onrushing Zentner.
It took the visitors until the 34th minute to have their first effort at goal, albeit a tame one. On loan, Liverpool centre-back Van Den Berg called Kevin Muller into a routine save with a header from close range, which was safely gathered.
A few moments later, Mainz took the lead in the 36th minute, and it was talisman Burkardt with the all-important goal for Die Nunfunfer.
Heidenheim only had themselves to blame. Even though the hosts started the better of the two, since the first quarter of an hour, their intensity had significantly dropped, and they had given way too much respect to the visitors.
Unmarked at the backpost, Burkardt found himself in the centre of the box, completely unmarked, following some intelligent movement to calmly guide an Anthony Caci cross past Muller with the side of his foot.
Mainz closed the first half by pushing for the second, with Heidenheim chasing shadows and the frustrated figure of Frank Schmidt shaking his head on the bench.
Second half
The second half started in a similar vein to the first: Mainz quick out the traps, while Heidenheim sat back, soaking up the pressure.
The warning lights were on when Ajorque produced a shot on the turn inside the box and saw his attempt cleared off the line, the offside flag offering the hosts a reprieve.
In saying that, after the Ajorque chance, it seemed Heidenheim learned from their mistakes as they began to probe the Mainz defence.
In the 55th minute, Kevin Sessa was caught in possession, having been far too casual with the ball, and Dinkci was through on goal; however, the German failed to capitalise, trying to lift the ball over Zentner. While he should have done better, take nothing away from the save.
The frustrations of the home side were mirrored by a speculative attempt at range from Beste in the 60th minute, failing to trouble Zentner.
When it seemed the intensity of the match had dropped off and the fixture had descended into a bit of a slumber, Kleindienst netted his 12th Bundesliga goal. Traore whipped in a mean cross from right-back, peeling off his marker and rising above Fernandes, the striker converted his third headed goal of the campaign.
The goal spurred the hosts into action, and with the momentum behind them, they nearly had a second when Dinkci delivered a fantastic cross to the near post and centre-back Patrick Mainka, arriving late, rattled the post with another header.
The Voith-Arena was in full voice as Heidenheim began to display a fluidity to their build-up play with some neat passing.
Registering seven goals this season, Beste was keen to get in on the action. Making his way into the box in the 73rd minute, the winger attempted to deceive Zentner and find the near post, but the shot was tipped away by the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper.
Burkardt misses golden opportunity to take Mainz out the relegation places
Entering the final third of the game, Heidenheim goalkeeper Muller produced the save of the match. Burkardt was through on goal with just the keeper to beat, set to score, he attempted to go around the German, but Muller timed his dive perfectly to dispossess the inform striker and prevent a certain goal.
It proved to be the moment that would deny Mainz the opportunity to escape the relegation places.
Heidenheim continued to apply the pressure to Mainz, with the visitors biding their time to catch their opponents on the break.
Burkardt was a constant threat for Mainz even during the dying embers of the game. Finding space, he fashioned the ball onto his right foot in the 87th minute and had his effort at goal deflected comfortably into the hands of Muller.
Fatigue played a major part in the final few minutes of the game, and it is fair to say that Mainz were on the backfoot as the fourth official indicated four minutes of added time.
With two minutes remaining, the match looked set to finish level; however, Heidenheim came narrowly close to the winner. Substitute Denis Thomalla provided a dangerous cross to the back post, and a Dinkci header rattled the bar.
Mainz will be rueing their missed opportunities, particularly the Burkardt chance. Having said that, the visitors will be grateful they were able to ride out the late pressure from the hosts. The draw leaves them a point behind Union Berlin in 16th place, with Borussia Dortmund to play next week.
Heidenheim came narrowly close to claiming all three points towards the end of the match but just fell short. Following Freiburg's draw yesterday, Frank Schmidt's side's position has not changed; they remain three points behind the seventh-placed outfit in the European Conference League spot.
Player of the match
Given the magnitude of the game for Mainz and their poor form away from the Mewa Arena, Burkardt has to be praised for inspiring his side to get something out of this match.
While it is easy to look at his brilliant finish in the first half, which secured a point for the visitors, it would be doing him a disservice to state that was his sole contribution.
When Burkardt is on the pitch, he is instrumental to not only the effectiveness of their press but also the fluidity of their build-up play. Constantly getting in behind and posing a goal threat, he was unlucky not to add to his goal tally following some brilliant goalkeeping by Muller.
Union fans breath a sigh of relief.