Mainz unbeaten European record comes to a halt in Romania | OneFootball

A nightmarish evening for Mainz in Romania, who taste defeat in the Conference League for the first time this campaign. A late Kacper Potulski goal that would have salvaged a point was ruled out for offside, and a first half injury to goalkeeper Robin Zentner capped off a disappointing performance from the 05ers.

There was little to report early on, with an opening spell marred by disruptions and fouls. The first yellow card arrived just 12 minutes in, with Stefan Bell booked after a heavy challenge on Stefan Baiaram. A drab start soon turned into a worry for Mainz when goalkeeper Robin Zentner appeared to tweak something and was forced off in the 24th minute, an injury Henriksen will be hoping is nothing serious.

Mainz’s best chance of the half came just before the half hour mark, when Dominik Kohr connected with a teasing Nadiem Amiri free kick only for Pavlo Isenko to produce a fine save, tipping the centre back’s header away from the top corner. The half continued at a stop-start pace, with Adrian Rus shown the game’s second yellow card for a cynical shirt pull on Arnaud Nordin. Both sides struggled to create anything meaningful going forward, and the game remained goalless at the break.

The second period began in similar fashion, with the match unable to find any rhythm due to its disjointed nature. It drifted along until the 65th minute, when a lapse in Mainz’s defending handed Craiova a golden chance via a penalty. Monday Etim surged past Silvan Widmer and delivered into the danger area. As half-time substitute Kacper Potulski attempted to clear, Alexander Cicâldău nipped in and was brought down by the defender, allowing Assad Al Hamlawi to step up and give the home side the lead.

Craiova continued to target Mainz’s right side, with Widmer repeatedly exposed. With 15 minutes remaining they almost doubled their advantage when Nicușor Bancu burst into the box and flashed the ball across goal, with Al Hamlawi inches away from converting, allowing Mainz to survive by the narrowest margins.

Mainz pushed bodies forward in search of an equaliser, even deploying Potulski as an improvised centre forward. With just two minutes left it seemed Henriksen’s plan had worked when the 18-year-old powered a header into the net from another dangerous Amiri free kick, only for a lengthy VAR check to rule it out for offside. That proved their final opportunity, and the 05ers were unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat.

A tough loss for Mainz, who for the first time in Europe this season looked worryingly similar to their domestic selves. Henriksen’s side appeared short of ideas in possession, often resorting to hopeful balls into the box that caused little trouble for Craiova. All eyes now turn to Sunday’s trip to the Black Forest, where a difficult but crucial match against Freiburg awaits.