Mainz see off 10-man Sigma Olomouc to book Conference quarter-final berth | OneFootball

"Let's dispel all doubts, we will make history today" was the tifo displayed by the home fans prior to kick-off --  A message upon which Mainz delivered, sealing their passage to the Conference League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over SK Sigma Olomouc tonight. 

Urs Fischer's men took the attack to their visitors early on as a long ball from Daniel Batz found Phillip Tietz who tested Jan Koutný. Nelson Weiper also latched onto a Silvan Widmer cross but lacked the precision to trouble Sigma's goalkeeper. 

On 20 minutes, the post came to Mainz's aid when Antonin Růsek found Jan Kliment -- the latter agonisingly close to the opening goal. In a first-half that would ultimately end goalless, Phillipp Mwene perhaps came closest when his shot whistled past the post on 36 minutes.

However, Mainz constructed the breakthrough within seconds of the restart. Sigma players afforded too much space to Paul Nebel who crossed for Stefan Posch, heading the ball into the lower left corner -- some eventual reward for their first-half persistence.

Tietz could've struck a second near the hour after a neat nutmeg and the rebound fell back to the striker. Ultimately, Koutný came out to smother. It wasn't long before the Czech side introduced some attacking options in Matěj Mikulenka, Jáchym Šíp and Dominik Janošek. 

Mainz gained the numerical advantage with 15 minutes left when Peter Baráth was dismissed for a second yellow-card offense. Their place in the last eight was a certainty when Danny da Costa cut down the right to find Armindo Sieb who carefully finished for a 2-0 win.