Mainz grind out narrow Conference League victory

Mainz edged past Zrinjski Mostar 1-0 at the Mewa Arena in their second UEFA Conference League fixture.

Though it wasn’t a vintage display, Bo Henriksen’s side picked up another valuable win without ever needing to get out of first gear – Nelson Weiper’s first-half strike proving the difference.

As expected, the hosts began on the front foot, while the travelling Zrinjski contingent made themselves heard despite sustained early pressure. Mainz’s first major opening arrived in the 6th minute when, from a free kick on the edge of the box, William Bøving cleverly laid the ball off to Andreas Hanche-Olsen, who curled his effort just wide – an early warning for the visitors.

Mainz continued to press high and were rewarded in the 24th minute. Hanche-Olsen and Silvan Widmer combined to dispossess Jakov Pranjić, before Widmer’s delivery found Ben Bobzien, who unselfishly squared for Weiper to finish at the second attempt and hand the hosts the lead.

The 05ers controlled proceedings for the remainder of the half, albeit without creating much more in attack. Things worsened for Zrinjski in the 37th minute when Igor Savić was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Bobzien, leaving the Bosnian champions with a mountain to climb. Mainz went into the break one goal to the good.

After the restart, Henriksen’s men looked to put the contest beyond reach and manage minutes ahead of domestic duty, but found clear-cut chances hard to come by. Widmer saw an effort cleared off the line just five minutes into the second period – a sign of the frustration that would follow.

While Mainz were rarely troubled by the ten men of Zrinjski, they also failed to capitalise on their dominance. Goran Karačić was called into action a handful of times, and a penalty awarded to the hosts was later overturned by VAR. Despite enjoying 68% possession after the break, the slender lead remained intact until full time.

The referee’s whistle brought a largely uneventful second half to an end, sealing a professional – if unspectacular – 1-0 victory for Mainz. That’s now two wins from two in Europe, with Henriksen’s side sitting sixth in their group. Attention now turns back to the Bundesliga, as they travel to Stuttgart on Sunday in search of continued momentum.