Mainz secure important three points in Cyprus

Bo Henriksen’s men got their Conference League campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory away to Omonia Nicosia.

In their first European campaign in nine years, Mainz return home from Cyprus after match day one with three points thanks to a Nadiem Amiri penalty.

The first half began at a blistering pace, with chances at both ends inside the opening ten minutes. Ryan Mmaee had the best of them for the hosts, rounding Zentner but slicing wide with the goal at his mercy – an early warning sign for Mainz. Omonia pressed high, looked threatening in possession, and showed little fear, buoyed by their strong home form coming into the game.

After that initial flurry, the contest settled down. Mainz struggled to fashion clear chances, while Omonia continued to look the more dangerous side. The visitors’ best moments came from wide situations: an Arnaud Nordin cross from a short corner that skipped through the box to clip the far post, and a Philip Mwene opportunity at the back post that he couldn’t quite connect with. 

For the most part, though, Omonia frustrated Mainz, holding their shape well out of possession and flooding men back quickly to stifle any counterattacks – a testament to Henning Berg’s tactical setup. The sides went into the break goalless.

Words clearly rang out at half-time, as Mainz started the second half on the front foot, pinning Omonia back and limiting them to rare breaks. Yet despite their growing dominance, Henriksen’s side still found it difficult to break down the Cypriots’ well-drilled back line.

Just as the game looked to be heading for a stalemate, Mainz were handed a golden opportunity in the 75th minute. Kaishu Sano drove into the box before being brought down by Saad Agouzoul, and Nadiem Amiri stepped up to calmly send the goalkeeper the wrong way – his third goal of the competition in as many games – to put the 05ers in front.

The celebrations were briefly halted after items were thrown from the stands with the players leaving the field, but once play resumed Mainz saw out the contest with composure. They kept the ball well, slowed the tempo, and saw off the pressure to escape the hostile atmosphere with the points secured.

Henriksen will be satisfied with his team’s resilience, even if they lacked cutting edge in attack. The chance to rotate his squad – including a composed debut from 17-year-old Kacper Potulski – will also have pleased the Dane ahead of the weekend’s Bundesliga fixture.

Mainz fly home tomorrow to prepare for Sunday’s trip to the Volksparkstadion, where they face Hamburg as the games continue to come thick and fast.