FSV 05 Mainz 0 – Bayern Munich 3

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02/02/13
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 20

0 – FSV 05 MAINZ
3 – BAYERN MUNICH ———— Mueller 41′, Mandzukic 50′, 57′

A lightning flash out of nowhere just before the halftime whistle and two more well-worked goals within a quarter hour of the restart propelled record German champion BAYERN MUNICH to a 3-0 shutout victory over pesky host FSV 05 MAINZ ast the Bavarians continued their march to the historic 50th Bundesliga title unabated.

A brilliant ball into space by Bayern Munich midfielder TONI KROOS allowed international colleague THOMAS MUELLER to collect in space on the right and easily round FSV 05 Mainz netminder CHRISTIAN WETKLO to score his 11th goal in the Bundesliga this season at the 41st minute mark. A fabulous run down the left flank by Austria international DAVID ALABA, the skillful 20-year-old who exchanged double passes with both Kroos and France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY on his creative romp for Bayern Munich, enabled Croatia international striker MARIO MANDZUKIC to net the first of his two goals for the Bavarians in the 50th minute. And a wonderful cross from Bayern Munich’s captain and right back PHILIPP LAHM afforded Mandzukic his 14th Bundesliga tally this term via a far post header into a virtually wide-open net just three minutes before the hour.

FSV 05 Mainz fought very hard for the first forty minutes and probably had the better of the chances taken by the two teams over the course of the first half. The home side had a few dangerous shots snuffed out by the Bayern Munich defense while Germany first choice MANUEL NEUER once again showed himself to be in fine form. FSV 05 Mainz could have done with its leading marksman but Hungary international ADAM SZALAI, the 25-year-old striker who was signed from Spanish juggernaut Real Madrid’s nursery club Castilla in January of 2010, was suspended for the match with the visiting Bavarians.

Szalai is enjoying a career year having shot 11 goals in 19 Bundesliga matches for FSV 05 Mainz this term.

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Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC, the 26-year-old striker who leads both Bayern Munich as well as the entire German top flight with 14 goals scored this season, looks to control the ball despite the challenge from FSV 05 Mainz midfielder ANDREAS IVANSCHITZ, the 29-year-old veteran who has collected 59 caps and scored 10 goals for the national team of Austria in his career, during the Bundesliga match in front of a sell-out audience of 34,000 spectators at the Coface Arena in Rhineland-Palatinate.
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FSV 05 MAINZ : Wetklo – Pospech, Kirchhoff, Noveski, Zabavnik – Baumgartlinger, Soto (Zimling 62′) – N. Mueller, Ivanschitz, Malli (Risse 46′) – Parker (Caligiuri 84′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba – Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos (Luiz Gustavo 82′), Ribery (Robben 76′) – Mandzukic (Gomez 76′)

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Bayern Munich 3 – FSV 05 Mainz 1

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Germany international BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, the 28-year-old defensive midfielder who scored three goals in 22 Bundesliga games all of last season but now has netted twice in three top flight matches to begin this new 2012/13 term, seeks to avoid the sliding tackle of Colombia international ELKIN SOTO of FSV 05 Mainz during the Bundesliga match in front of 71,000 spectators at the always sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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09/14/12
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 3

3 – BAYERN MUNICH ———– Mandzukic 2′, Schweinsteiger 13′, Kroos 90+2′
1 – FSV 05 MAINZ —————— Szalai pen 59′

Once again, almost barely noticeable for Bayern Munich on this day was the continued absence of Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ, who has yet to play a competitive match in this 2012/13 season. Furthermore, neither of the Dynamic ‘Robbery’ Duo wingers — Holland international ARJEN ROBBEN nor France international FRANCK RIBERY — were even dressed in uniform and sitting on the bench, let alone in the Startelf for trainer JUPP HEYNCKES. This trio, to review, combined to score 50 goals for the Bavarians in just the Bundesliga, alone, last season.

This day also marked a record-tying event when aging Peru international CLAUDIO PIZARRO ran out onto the pitch at the Allianz Arena for the final moments of the match with FSV 05 Mainz. The late substitute appearance by the striker who turns 35 next month tied the Bundesliga record for most games played (336) by a foreigner who did not grow up in the German football system. Pizarro, who did strike in the D.F.B. Pokal first round contest with second division SSV Jahn Regensburg earlier this term in August, might had had himself a first Bundesliga goal of the season to celebrate the occasion but was denied by the never-say-die netminding of visiting goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO.

Another noteworthy moment also came very late in the match when substitute JAVI MARTINEZ, the 24-year-old Spain international midfielder who recently broke the existing Bundesliga record with a 40.0 million Euro transfer from La Liga side Athletic Bilbao, was directly involved in a Bayern Munich goal for the very first time ever. A well-flighted cross from the right wing found youthful Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS in the box on the left and a spectacular volley resulted. An initial return on a massive investment for the traditional Bavarian giant, then.

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Croatia international MARIO MANDZUKIC, who scored 12 goals in the Bundesliga for Vfl Wolfsburg last season and was bought by the record German champion for a transfer fee of 13.0 million Euros this summer, has scored at least once in all five competitive matches in which the 26-year striker has appeared for Bayern Munich thus far.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Badstuber – Luiz Gustavo, Schweinsteiger – Mueller, Kroos, Shaqiri (Martinez 75′) – Mandzukic (Pizarro 89′)

FSV 05 MAINZ : Wetklo – Pospech, Bungert, Noveski, Zabavnik – Baumgartlinger, Kirchhoff – Caligiuri (Soto 37′), N. Mueller, Risse (Szalai 37′) – Choupo Moting (Ivanschitz 79′)

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Bayern Munich 0 – FSV Mainz 0

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Croatia international striker IVICA OLIC, the 32-year-old veteran who has netted four goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich this term, looks to get a shot on target as Slovakia World Cup defender RADOSLAV ZABAVNIK of FSV 05 Mainz arrives with hopes of blocking such during the Bundesliga match at the sold-out Allianz Arena in the southern German state of Bavaria.
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4/14/12
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 31

0 – BAYERN MUNICH
0 – FSV 05 MAINZ

Despite being in possession almost seventy percent of the time in addition to generating three times as many attempts-at-goal, record German champion BAYERN MUNICH were held to a scoreless draw by visiting FSV 05 MAINZ with a result that leaves the Bavarians eight points behind the Bundesliga leaders with just three rounds remaining on the 2011/12 calendar.

Bayern Munich trainer JUPP HEYNCKES, obviously looking ahead to the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal tie with traditional Spanish La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, left three very important players — Germany World Cup defender and club captain PHILIPP LAHM, France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY as well as Germany international striker and current Bundesliga goal-scoring leader MARIO GOMEZ — on the bench for the weekend meeting with FSV Mainz, who were situated eight points above the dreaded relegation zone heading into the top flight contest at the Allianz Arena.

Highly-experienced Ukraine international ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK, the recently-turned 33-year-old former Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder still in search of a first goal despite having made 35 appearances for Bayern Munich in all competitions this season, came closest to scoring but could only watch his shot rebound off the base of the post in the 43rd minute.

FSV Mainz goalkeeper HEINZ MUELLER, the well-traveled veteran who lost his place to CHRISTIAN WETKLO after the 10th round of this Bundesliga campaign, was cited for his professional attitude all season long and given the nod between the sticks for the first time since late October by trainer THOMAS TUCHEL; the Bavarians did have great difficulty getting more than a couple of their 15 or so shots on target but the cagey Mueller certainly did much to effectively control his penalty box and was rewarded with a clean sheet at the final whistle.

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FSV 05 MAINZ goalkeeper HEINZ MUELLER, the 33-year-old veteran who spent two seasons playing for FC Barnsley in the English League Championship (second division) before returning to Germany with die Nullfuenfer in the summer of 2009, collects the ball ahead of Bayern Munich’s Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN with Czech Republic international defender ZDENEK POSPECH (3) trailing close behind during the Bundesliga match at the sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Contento – Tymoshchuk, Schweinsteiger – Robben, T. Mueller (Kroos 79′), Alaba (Ribery 46′) – Olic (Gomez 61′)

FSV 05 MAINZ : H. Mueller – Pospech, Kirchhoff, Noveski, Zabavnik – Baumgartlinger (Polanski 61′), Soto – N. Mueller (Bungert 74′), Caligiuri – Szalai, Ivanschitz (Choupo-Moting 57′)

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FSV Mainz 3 – Bayern Munich 2

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Austria international midfielder DAVID ALABA (far left) and Belgium international defender DANIEL VAN BUYTEN of Bayern Munich confront FSV Mainz’s Colombian midfielder ELKIN SOTO in the air as MARCO CALIGIURI (6) looks on during the Bundesliga match at the Coface Arena in the southwestern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
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11/27/11
Bundesliga
Spieltag # 14

3 – FSV MAINZ ———————— Ivanschitz 11′, Caligiuri 65′, Bungert 74′
2 – BAYERN MUNICH ———— van Buyten 56′, 79′

Sloppy play at the back seemingly throughout the match left the lackluster visitors chasing the game virtually the entire contest as heretofore Bundesliga leaders BAYERN MUNICH tumbled off the top of the German table with a disheartening 3-2 loss at FSV MAINZ.

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Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS of Bayern Munich, who collected a pair of assists for the Bavarians off set pieces in the match, is closed down by Colombia international midfielder ELKIN SOTO (19) of FSV Mainz during the Bundesliga match at the Coface Arena in Rhineland-Palatinate.
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The blog might harp on the second FSV Mainz goal ridiculously conceded from long range by Bayern Munich’s Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER but, sometimes, the best thing to do after a bad loss is to put the whole thing in the rear view mirror and move on quickly.

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Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ of Bayern Munich, last season’s Bundesliga Torjaegermeister who leads the top flight again with 13 goals this season, is thwarted by FSV Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO (29) during the Bundesliga match at the Coface Arena in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
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FSV MAINZ : Wetklo – Pospech, Bungert, Svensson, Fathi – Baumgartlinger, Soto – N. Mueller (Choupo-Moting 75′), Ivanschitz (Schoenheim 86′), Caligiuri – Allagui (Ujah 90+1′)

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Boateng (Rafinha 68′), van Buyten, Badstuber, Lahm – Luiz Gustavo (Olic 52′), Alaba – T. Mueller, Kroos, Ribery – Gomez

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Bayern Munich Salvage Liga Total Cup 3rd Place On Penalties

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One-time Germany youth international MARCEL RISSE of FSV Mainz seeks to tackle the ball away from veteran Croatia international striker IVICA OLIC of Bayern Munich, made the Spielfuehrer (captain) for the very first time at the club by trainer Jupp Heynckes today, during the Testspiel at the Coface Arena in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
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Despite another underwhelming defensive effort highlighted by more sloppy marking, struggling BAYERN MUNICH were still able to rally to defeat feisty FSV MAINZ in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw over the sixty minutes of the 2011 Liga Total Cup 3rd place match.

FSV Mainz, who took the Bundesliga by storm last season and ended with a very well-deserved place in Europe, struck against the run of play with their very first attempt in the 11th minute. Macedonia international NIKOLCE NOVESKI was left all alone in the box on a corner and made his header look rather all too easy. “Nie war er so frei wie heute – Never was he so free as today,” remarked the German commentator in the video footage included here.

Austria international DAVID ALABA, however, maintained the rich vein of form he has shown this summer and equalized in time added onto the first half with clinical header from a cross by Bayern Munich left back DIEGO CONTENTO; the 19-year-old versative midfielder deployed in a defensive role today also saw his name on the scoresheet with his last appearance for the club against FC Carl Zeiss Jena.

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19-year-old Japan youth international attacker TAKASHI USAMI made his competitive debut for Bayern Munich in the 2011 Liga Total Cup 3rd Place Match with FSV Mainz and, in doing so, became the first player from his nation to ever represent the proud Bavarian club.
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Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER, who came on as a substitute just after the halftime break, won a penalty for Bayern Munich with just three minutes reamining in the match. Former Germany youth international NILS PETERSEN, the 2.Bundesliga’s leading scorer with 25 goals last season for Energie Cottbus, effectively dispatched the spot kick to score his sixth goal for the Bavarians. Petersen, in fact, has now scored in all four games he has played thus far for his new paymasters.

But FSV Mainz pulled level in the final minute after 20-year-old Nigerian striker ANTHONY UJAH, signed this summer from Norwegian side SK Lillestrom, swept home a right wing centering pass from Croatia U-21 international striker PETAR SLISKOVIC in the last minute.

After FSV Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTOPH WETKLO would not allow Petersen to net a penalty for the second time today, the pressure in the shootout fell squarely on the shoulders of Bayern Munich shot-stopper MANUEL NEUER. The 32-year-old veteran Noveski might have won the match with the fifth and final kick for the home side, but Neuer rose to the occasion when needed most. Once Ujah crashed his shot off the crossbar, Croatia international midfielder DANIJEL PRANJIC was able to produce a sudden-death match-winner for Bayern Munich.

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, who had a disastrous opening to the match against SV Hamburg yesterday in the tournament, responded with a well-timed save in the penalty shootout of the 2011 Liga Total Cup 3rd place match at the brand new Coface Arena in Rhineland-Palatinate.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Rafinha, Tymoshchuk, Badstuber (Luiz Gustavo 31′), Contento – Alaba, Pranjic – Usami (Mueller 49), Kroos, Olic – Petersen

goals ——— Alaba, Petersen

penalties — Alaba, Mueller, Kroos, Tymoshchuk, Pranjic

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Manuel Neuer Makes Schalke 04′s Day In Mainz

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER of Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen dives to his right to stop the penalty kick of the not-pictured ANDRE SCHUERRLE of FSV Mainz in the 72nd minute of the Bundesliga match at the Stadion am Bruchweg in Rhineland-Palatinate. (Martin Meissner/AP)
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Exactly the sort of stuff SCHALKE 04 GELSENKIRCHEN requires to truly escape the relegation region of the Bundesliga once and for all, then.

Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER saved a penalty kick with less than twenty minutes remaining in the match as Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen edged early-season surprise FSV 05 Mainz on the road in Rhineland-Palatinate.

With the 1-0 away win and a critical three points, last season’s Bundesliga runners-up — fresh from a midweek UEFA Champions League victory over Benfica Lisbon in Portugal — made a mighty leap from 15th to 10th in the Bundesliga standings.

Peru international striker JEFFERSON FARFAN netted the goal, only his second from his thirteenth appearance in the Bundesliga this season, that Schalke 04 needed in the 30th minute.

Borussia Dortmund Blank FSV Mainz For Bundesliga Lead

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22-year-old Borussia Dortmund defender MARCEL SCHMELZER volleys the ball away from FSV Mainz’s 20-year-old on-loan midfielder LEWIS HOLTBY during the top of the table Bundesliga clash this Sunday at the Stadion am Bruchweg in Mainz. (Torsten Silz/DAPD)
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Easy come, easy go.

A goal involving a gifted teenager on either side of the halftime whistle and a clean-sheet preserving penalty kick save enabled visiting BORUSSIA DORTMUND to defeat upstart FSV MAINZ 2-0 and reclaim the Bundesliga lead by a single point with ten rounds now in the books as October comes to a close in Germany.

Twenty-six minutes into the match, 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder MARIO GOETZE grabbed his second Bundesliga goal this season after FSV Mainz defender NIKO BUNGERT had a nightmare in his own end.

First, Bungert gave the ball away with a careless pass in his own third to Borussia Dortmund’s Japan international midfielder SHINJU KAGAWA. Then, the 23-year-old defender failed to properly deal with a forward pass at the edge of the penalty area. Goetze, who made his senior debut for Borussia Dortmund with five Bundesliga appearances last season, was on hand to pounce and rifle the ball into the net for his fourth goal in all competitions this term for die Schwarzgelben.

FSV Mainz had the perfect opportunity to equalize just after the halftime break when Borussia Dortmund’s Serbia World Cup defender NEVEN SUBOTIC fouled Hungary international striker ADAM SZALAI in the box.

But, Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER produced, perhaps, the most important play of the game by saving the penalty kick of FSV Mainz midfielder EUGEN POLANSKI, who was left still searching for his first goal in the Bundesliga this season.

FSV Mainz continued to look to draw level, but Goetze appeared on center stage once more to put the game in the bag for Borussia Dortmund.

After a run right down the middle to draw the defense, the teenager turned Paraguay World Cup striker LUCAS BARRIOS loose on the left in the box; the Borussia Dortmund striker easily rounded the advancing FSV Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO to add an insurance goal in the 67th minute.

Barrios, who led die Borussen and finished third with 19 goals in the German top flight last year after transferring from popular Chilean club Colo Colo, now leads Borussia Dortmund for this campaign, as well, with five goals in the Bundesliga so far.

A disappointing result at home then for FSV Mainz, who dropped their second Bundesliga game in the last three contests and have now lost three out of the last four matches in all competitions.

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FSV Mainz midfielder MARCO CALIGIURI (6) tries to force his way through the double team challenge from the Borussia Dortmund midfield pair of Turkey international NURI SAHIN (8) and 18-year-old goal-scorer MARIO GOETZE, whose 20-year-old brother Fabian is a defender with the FSV Mainz reserve team in the German third division, at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Torsten Silz/DAPD)
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FSV MAINZ : Wetklo – Bungert (Risse 46), Svensson, Noveski, Fuchs – Caligiuri, Polanski, Soto – Holtby (Schuerrle 71′) – Allagui (Ivanschitz 83′), Szalai

BORUSSIA DORTMUND : Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels (Felipe Santana 69′), Schmelzer – Bender, Sahin – Grosskreutz, Kagawa, Goetze (Lewandowski 79′) – Barrios (da Silva 86′)

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With Japan international midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA (23) watching from behind, teenage Borussia Dortmund midfielder MARIO GOETZE (31) shoots low past FSV Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO for the opening goal of the game in the 26th minute at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Michael Probst/AP)
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With FSV Mainz midfielder EUGEN POLANSKI shooting from the penalty spot, Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER (1) dives to his left and produces the moment of match during the Bundesliga top of the table clash at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
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With Austria international defender CHRISTIAN FUCHS (22) racing into the box in search of the rebound, FSV Mainz midfielder EUGEN POLANSKI (7) surveys the situation after Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER parried his penalty kick shortly after halftime at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Torsten Silz/DAPD)
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With a chance to effectively put the game on ice, Paraguay World Cup striker LUCAS BARRIOS of Borussia Dortmund seeks to dribble around advancing FSV Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO in the 67th minute at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Michael Probst/AP)
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Having successfully negotiated the German goalkeeper Wetklo, the Paraguayan striker Barrios shoots past FSV Mainz’s Macedonia international defender NIKOLCE NOVESKI (4) to give Borussia Dortmund the invaluable insurance goal in the 67th minute at the Stadion am Bruchweg.(Michael Probst/AP)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Top Of Table Tussle : FSV Mainz v Borussia Dortmund

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Burkina Faso international striker ARISTIDE BANCE (23) of FSV Mainz and Borussia Dortmund’s Germany international defender PATRICK OWOMOYELA (25) watch as the shot of the not pictured Hungarian striker Adam Szalai eludes visiting goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER in the 30th minute for the only goal of the game last April 10 at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Alex Grimm / Bongarts / Getty Images)
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Exactly how many people would have predicted that, on the last day of October, a top of the table clash in the German Bundesliga would involve FSV 05 MAINZ and BORUSSIA DORTMUND is unknown – not very many, if any, is all but certain the correct figure.

However, the two clubs from western Germany will get together on Sunday with the leadership of the Bundesliga at stake in the match at the Stadion am Bruchweg in Mainz. FSV Mainz have took the top flight by storm after finishing 9th last season with seven consectuive wins to start the season and are the current leaders with 24 points from the first nine games. Right behind just a couple of points off pace are Borussia Dortmund.

FSV Mainz, promoted again from the second divison, won this fixture against Borussia Dortmund last season 1-0 at the Stadion am Bruchweg on April 10 with Hungary international striker ADAM SZALAI, then still only on loan from Spanish giant Real Madrid, scoring his first career Bundesliga goal to give the hosts all three points.

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Hungary international striker ADAM SZALAI of FSV Mainz, who scored his one and only goal of the 2009-10 season in the 30th minute to win the match, fights through the Borussia Dortmund midfield pair of Turkey international NURI SAHIN (8) and SVEN BENDER last April 10 at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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Both teams, while enjoying excellent starts to the Bundesliga campaign, enter the contest on Sunday having been unceremoniously knocked out of the Deutsche Fussball Bund Pokal in midweek — FSV Mainz fell 2-1 to 2.Bundesliga side Alemania Aachen while Borussia Dortmund, perhaps more embarrassingly, were eliminated by third division outfit Kickers Offenbach on penalties after being held scoreless for 120 minutes.

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FSV MAINZ — Schuerrle 4, Allagui 3, Szalai 3, Rasmussen 2, Holtby 2, Bungert 1, Ivanschitz 1, Risse 1, Soto 1

BORUSSIA DORTMUND — Kagawa 4, Barrios 4, Grosskreutz 3, Sahin 3, Lewandowski 2, Blaszczykowski 1, da Silva 1, M. Goetze 1, Hummels 1

FSV 05 Mainz (Germany)

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Midfielder LEWIS HOLTBY, who went out on loan to Vfl Bochum for the latter half of last season and talliled two goals in 14 Bundesliga games, has, once again, been loaned out by Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen — this time for the entire 2010-11 campaign to FSV 05 MAINZ, for whom Holtby has already scored two goals in nine league games to open the new year. (Frank Augstein/AP)
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Traditionally a modest club with a mostly a second divison resume since the advent of the Bundesliga in the early 1960s, the Rhineland club FUSSBALL-und-SPORT VEREIN MAINZ 05 has certainly captured the attention, if not imagination, of the country with their ascension to the top of the table this season in the German first division.

FSV Mainz, who spent roughly a decade in the third division from the late 1970s thru the late 1980s, had a run of three consecutive years in the Bundesliga but were relegated again at the end of the 2006-07 campaign; die Nullfuenfer again won promotion to the first division last season and ended up a respectable ninth in the standings under the direction of youthful first-year coach THOMAS TUCHEL.

FSV Mainz made several moves to strengthen the attack in the off-season that have worked out rather well so far.

The loan of Hungary international striker ADAM SZALAI from Spanish giant Real Madrid was made permanent in exchange for a fee of a reported 500,000 English pounds in July. The 22-year-old, who started his career with the Vfb Stuttgart reserves before playing two and a half years with Castilla in the Segunda Division, returned to Germany last January and scored one goal in 15 games with FSV Mainz to finish out the term. This season, Szalai has already struck for three goals in nine Bundesliga games for die Nullfuenfer.

Tunisia international striker SAMI ALLAGUI has shown himself to be a wise addition with three goals in his first six games in the Bundesliga; the 24-year-old Dusseldorf-born attacker, who started his career in Belgium with RSC Anderlecht in Brussels, had scored 27 goals in 66 games for 2.Bundesliga club SpVgg Greuther Fuerth before his transfer to FSV Mainz this summer.

And, Denmark international MORTEN RASMUSSEN has arrived on loan from Scottish club Glasgow Celtic; the 25-year-old striker has contributed two goals in four games (three starts) to begin his tenure in the Bundesliga.

All three players have teamed up well with returning Germany U-21 international attack ANDRE SCHUERRLE, who has made five of his eight Bundesliga appearances this season as a substitute of the bench; nevertheless, the 19-year-old, who scored five goals in 33 league games for FSV Mainz a year ago, already has four goals in the Bundesliga to lead die Nullfuenfer this term.

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Hungary international ADAM SZALAI, the former Real Madrid farmhand who arrived at FSV Mainz last January initially on loan, shows his boots to the home supporters after 4-2 defeat of TSV Hoffenheim, a match in which the 22-year-old striker scored a goal, on October 2 at the Stadion am Bruchweg. (Frank Augstein/AP)
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FSV MAINZ off-season transactions
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Players In
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28 – fw – Haruna BABANGIDA ——— Nigeria int’l — fr Kuban Krasnodar (Rus)
25 – fw – Morten RASMUSSEN ——– Denmark int’l — fr Glasgow Celtic (Sct)
24 – fw – Sami ALLAGUI —————— Tunisia int’l — fr SpVgg Greuther Fuerth
22 – fw – Adam SZALAI ——————– Hungary int’l — fr CF Real Madrid (Spa)
26 – mf – Marco CALIGUIURI ——— Germany — fr SpVgg Greuther Fuerth
20 – mf – Marcel RISSE ——————– Germany — fr Bayer Leverkusen
20 – mf – Lewis HOLTBY —————— Germany — fr Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
26 – df — Malik FATHI ———————- Germany — fr Spartak Moscow (Rus)
24 – df – Christian FUCHS —————- Austria int’l — fr Vfl Bochum
38 – gk – Martin PIECKENHAGEN — Germany — fr Heracles Almelo (Hol)

(Fathi, Fuchs, Holtby, Rasmussen, Risse are all on loan at FSV 05 Mainz for the 2010-11 season; Szalai had been on loan at FSV 05 Mainz from Spanish giant Real Madrid’s nursery club Castilla since January; Fathi has been on loan at FSV 05 Mainz from Russian club Spartak Moscow since February; Ivanschitz has been on loan at FSV 05 Mainz from Greek club Panathinaikos Athens since the start of the 2009-10 season)

Players Out
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30 – fw – Dragan BOGAVAC —– Montenegro int’l — released
26 – fw – Aristide BANCE ——— Burkina Faso int’l — to Al-Ahli Dubai (UAE)
25 – fw – Chadli AMRI ————- Algeria int’l — to 1.FC Kaiserslautern
27 – mf – Filip TROJAN ———– Czech Rep — to MSV Duisburg
22 – mf – Jahmir HYKA ———– Albania int’l — to GSS Panionios (Gre)
25 – df – Tim HOOGLAND ——- Germany — to Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen
36 – gk – Dimo WACHE ———– Germany — retired

(Trojan is out on loan for the 2010-11 season)

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FSV MAINZ squad
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38 – GK – Martin PIECKENHAGEN
32 – GK – Heinz MUELLER
30 – GK – Christian WETKLO

31 – DF – Nikolce NOVESKI ————— (MACEDONIA – 41 caps, 2 goals)
31 – DF – Zsolt LOEW ————————- (HUNGARY – 25 caps, 1 goal)
31 – DF – Bo SVENSSON ——————– (DENMARK – 1 cap, 0 goals)
30 – DF – Radoslav ZABAVNIK ———- (SLOVAKIA – 50 caps, 1 goal)
24 – DF – Christian FUCHS —————– (AUSTRIA – 30 caps, 0 goals)
26 – DF – Malik FATHI
23 – DF – Niko BUNGERT
20 – DF – Jan KIRCHHOFF
19 – DF – Eugen GOPKO

34 – MF – Miroslav KARHAN ————– (SLOVAKIA – 99 caps, 13 goals)
31 – MF – Jan SIMAK ————————— (CZECH REPUBLIC, 1 cap, 0 goals)
30 – MF – Elkin SOTO ————————– (COLOMBIA – 16 caps, 6 goals)
28 – MF – Florian HELLER
26 – MF – Andreas IVANSCHITZ ——— (AUSTRIA – 49 caps, 7 goals)
26 – MF – Marco CALIGIURI
24 – MF – Eugen POLANSKI
20 – MF – Lewis HOLTBY
20 – MF – Marcel RISSE
20 – MF – Jared JEFFREY ——————– (United States)

28 – FW – Haruna BABANGIDA ———– (NIGERIA – 1 cap, 0 goals)
27 – FW – Felix BORJA ————————- (ECUADOR – 21 caps, 3 goals)
25 – FW – Morten RASMUSSEN ———– (DENMARK – 3 caps, 0 goals)
24 – FW – Sami ALLAGUI ——————— (TUNISIA – 5 caps, 1 goal)
22 – FW – Adam SZALAI ———————– (HUNGARY – 4 caps, 3 goals)
20 – FW – Andre SCHUERRLE
19 – FW – Petar SLISKOVIC

Alemannia Aachen Oust Bundesliga Leaders FSV Mainz From DFB Pokal

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21-year-old Alemannia Aachen midfielder MARCO HOEGER (37), one of the heroes of the evening for the second division side from the Belgian border, steps on the ball along the sideline as FSV 05 Mainz striker ANDRE SCHUERRLE, the top goal-scorer for the current Bundesliga leaders, reacts at the New Tivoli in the western German city of Aachen. (Wolfgang Rattay)
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DFB Pokal
2nd round
October 27, 2010

2 – Alemannia Aachen ———— Auer 26′, Hoeger 60′
1 – FSV 05 Mainz —————— Szalai 68′

Second division side ALEMANNIA AACHEN scored the first two goals and then held off current Bundesliga leaders FSV 05 MAINZ to claim a 2-1 upset victory in the second round of the German Cup.

Former Germany U-21 international striker BENJAMIN AUER, a 29-year-old journeyman who appeared in 60 Bundesliga games and scored 15 goals for FSV 05 Mainz over two seasons before transferring to Vfl Bochum in the summer of 2006, netted in the 26th minute to give Alemannia Aachen the always important initial advantage.

On the hour mark, 21-year-old midfielder MARCO HOEGER added a second goal for Alemannia Aachen, who finished 13th in the 2.Bundesliga last term and have spent all but one of the past ten seasons in the second division.

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FSV 05 Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO manages to get a hand to the effort of former Alemannia Aachen’s Hungary youth international striker ZOLTAN STIEBER (7), who spent two years on the books of English Premier League side Aston Villa before joining 2.Bundesliga club TuS Koblenz to start last season, at the New Tivoli. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
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Within five minutes after coming on as a substitute, Hungary international striker ADAM SZALAI narrowed the gap for with his fourth goal of the season in all competitions for FSV 05 Mainz but the current Bundesliga table-toppers would come no closer.

After a run of seven consecutive wins in the Bundesliga and eight overall to start the 2010-11 season, FSV 05 Mainz fall in the second round of the Deutsche Fussball Bund Pokal and have dropped two of their last three contests in all competitions heading into a weekend class with second place Borussia Dortmund at home in the Stadion am Bruchweg.

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22-year-old Alemannia Aachen goalkeeper DAVID HOHS (22), who only played three league matches all last season and has a grand total of 12 games in the 2.Bundesliga under his belt in his career, has his studs showing as he secures the ball ahead of FSV 05 Mainz’s Tunisia international striker SAMI ALLAGUI, the off-season signing from SpVgg Greuther Fuerth who was born in Germany but started his career in Belgium with RSC Anderlecht of Brussels, at the New Tivoli. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
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ALEMANNIA AACHEN : Hohs – Casper, Stehle, Feisthammel, Achenbach – Kratz – Hoeger, Uludag – Arslan (Junglas 71′) – Auer (Gueye 79′), Stieber

FSV 05 MAINZ : Wetklo – Bungert, Svensson, Noveski, Fathi – Soto – Karhan (Fuchs 63′), Ivanschitz – Hotby (Risse 46′) – Allagui (Szalai 63′), Schuerrle

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FSV 05 Mainz goalkeeper CHRISTIAN WETKLO watches the ball bulge the back of the net as goal-scorer BENJAMIN AUER, who also had two seasons in the 2.Bundesliga with FSV 05 Mainz and, overall, scored 30 goals in 116 league games for the Rhineland club, celebrates the first goal of the game to give Alemannia Aachen a 1-0 advantage in the 26th minute at the New Tivoli. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
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Wetklo wears a bit of a smirk as the Hungarian Stieber (7) congratulates the club captain Auer on Alemannia Aachen’s first goal of the second round DFB Pokal match at the New Tivoli in the western German border city of Aachen. (Sascha Schuermann/DAPD)