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Tapsoba in the penalty against Mainz – without success
Photo:
Federico Gambarini / dpa
Only tenth in the Bundesliga, far away from the European Cup places: Bayer Leverkusen are threatened with a disappointing season after the 2:3 (1:2) home defeat against Mainz 05.
After 21 match days, Xabi Alonso's team has just 27 points and is eleven points behind sixth place, which entitles them to participate in international business.
Bayer's low point in the game was Amine Adli's red card in the 81st minute.
His foul led to a penalty, which Mainz's Marcus Ingvartsen used to score the winner 3-2 (82nd minute).
Mainz is ninth with 29 points.
The first excitement of the game was also a penalty kick and controversial whistle by referee Robert Schörder.
In the penalty area, Mainz's Anton Stach and Bayer attacker Sardar Azmoun went for the ball, with Stach apparently touching the Leverkusen player slightly.
According to the video images, referee Schröder stuck to his decision, which should not have any serious consequences for Mainz: Finn Dahmen saved Edmond Tapsoba's penalty (23rd) and thus further expanded Leverkusen's catastrophic penalty record.
Only one in five penalties was possible this season.
Across the season, there were seven missed shots in the last eight penalty kicks by Leverkusen.
Can it get any worse?
Anthony Caci had the answer five minutes later when he capitalized on a mistake by defender Odilon Kossounou to give FSV the lead (26').
Leverkusen quickly equalized after a nice attack: After a pass from Azmoun, Nadiem Amiri hit under the bar with a well-placed shot to make it 1-1 (32nd).
Penalty for Mainz – or not?
But Mainz kept getting in front of the goal – and scored again in added time in the first half through Leandro Barreiro (45+5).
It got strange shortly afterwards when referee Schröder awarded a legitimate penalty for Mainz, but had to take it back after video evidence because there had previously been a foul on Leverkusen's Adli on the other side.
After ten minutes of stoppage time, it was time for the break.
Xabi Alonso's side initially had to do without a few regular players, who were rested for the second leg of the Europa League second round against AS Monaco next Thursday.
Patrik Schick and Florian Wirtz, who had scored in the first leg but were unable to prevent the 3-2 defeat against Monaco, were among those injured.
In the second half, Alonso brought on his stars, including Schick, who made it 2-2 in the 58th minute after hitting the post and a Dahmen save.
The preparation came from Wirtz, who was also substituted on.
This goal was not safe either: Two minutes later, Bayer keeper Lukáš Hrádecký prevented the deficit from falling again with two powerful reflexes.
When Ingvartsen took the penalty, the goalkeeper had to reach behind him again.
Jan
