Mainz secured its first Bundesliga win of the season, edging out Augsburg 3-2 in a dramatic encounter that featured two red cards on Friday. Philipp Mwene’s assists from the left wing were instrumental in the victory, despite Mainz playing with 10 men for much of the match.
Nadiem Amiri was sent off for Mainz shortly before halftime, receiving two yellow cards in the space of two minutes. Augsburg later went down to 10 men as well, after Samuel Essende was shown a red card for violent conduct with 20 minutes remaining.
Mainz took an early lead against the flow of the game in the 13th minute when Armindo Sieb headed in Mwene’s cross from the byline. Just two minutes later, Jonathan Burkardt scored the second goal, glancing home another cross from Mwene.
Augsburg responded in the 25th minute, with Keven Schlotterbeck finding space in the box to slot home from close range. The hosts’ hopes were further boosted when Amiri was sent off after receiving two quick yellow cards in the 33rd and 35th minutes.
However, Mainz extended its lead early in the second half, with Burkardt netting his second goal in the 49th minute to make it 3-1. Augsburg’s Essende briefly reignited hopes with a goal, but his red card shortly afterward left both teams playing with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Augsburg pressed for an equalizer in the closing stages but failed to find a breakthrough. The defeat leaves Augsburg in 12th place, while Mainz moves up to 10th in the standings.
