Leverkusen beat Mainz 4-3 in an amazing Bundesliga goal-fest | OneFootball

In one of the most entertaining games of this Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen edged Mainz 05 4-3 in a dramatic contest at the MEWA Arena.

Mainz showed tremendous fight throughout, coming back twice and nearly snatching a late equalizer. After a haltime-score of 1-3 to the visitors, Nadiem Amiri’s penalty reignited the host's hopes before Martin Terrier, on his long-awaited return from injury, restored Leverkusen’s cushion with a late strike. Even then, Armindo Sieb’s stoppage-time goal kept the tension alive until the final whistle, as Leverkusen narrowly held on for a hard-fought victory.

Here is a more detailed match review for this amazing Bundesliga game:

First half:

The visitors started sharply and were rewarded early on. In the 10th minute, Jonas Hofmann, surprisingly included in the starting lineup, was fouled by Mainz defender Nikolas Veratschnig just as he going out of the box. Leverkusen’s star man Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up and converted the resulting penalty with trademark calmness to give his side the lead.

Leverkusen stayed firmly on the front foot, dictating the tempo and pressing aggressively both on and off the ball. Their dominance paid off again in the 24th minute, when a dazzling one-touch passing move sliced through the Mainz defence. Christian Kofane finished the move with precision, scoring for the third consecutive match to make it 2-0 for the visitors.

Despite Leverkusen’s control, Paul Nebel stood out for Mainz. The young midfielder found clever pockets of space and was a constant creative spark, even coming close to winning a penalty - though his duel with Edmond Tapsoba was judged as equally aggressive play from both sides.

The hosts clawed their way back into the game in the 33rd minute, when a chaotic sequence following a throw-in ended with Jae-sung Lee slotting home to make it 2-1.

Leverkusen had the chance to restore their two-goal cushion soon after, but Grimaldo’s free kick in the 39th minute flew unusually wide. Yet the Spaniard would soon make amends. In first-half stoppage time, Leverkusen’s relentless pressing forced another Mainz mistake, and Grimaldo calmly tucked away his second goal of the night.

The drama didn’t end there - Mainz nearly responded instantly, with Paul Nebel striking the woodwork from a sharp cross-shot just seconds before the halftime whistle.

An electrifying half of football ended with Leverkusen 3-1 ahead, showcasing both their attacking fluency and Mainz’s fighting spirit in front of a lively home crowd.

Second half:

The second half at the MEWA Arena continued at the same breathtaking pace as the first, with Bayer Leverkusen and Mainz 05 serving up one of the most entertaining matches of the Bundesliga season.

Both sides came out with high intensity, pressing aggressively and refusing to back down. The game’s chaotic energy only grew as the half wore on, and in the 66th minute, Mainz came agonizingly close to scoring when a shot rattled the post. Moments later, a Mainz attacker was brought down inside the box while trying to reach the rebound. After a VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot, and Nadiem Amiri stepped up to calmly convert - reducing the deficit to 3-2 and reigniting Mainz’s hopes.

Leverkusen soon made a notable substitution as Martin Terrier entered the pitch for his long-awaited return after nine months out with injury. And it turned into a perfect comeback story: in the 88th minute, Terrier found the net to make it 4-2, seemingly putting the game beyond Mainz’s reach.

But this remarkable contest had one more twist left: In the first minute of stoppage time, substitute Armindo Sieb struck for Mainz, cutting the score to 4-3 and setting up a frantic finale. With seven minutes of added time, the hosts threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but Leverkusen held firm to secure a dramatic victory.

A match packed with goals, intensity, and emotion - Leverkusen’s attacking quality and Mainz’s relentless spirit combined to produce one of the most thrilling games of the season.

Final score: Mainz 05 3-4 Bayer Leverkusen