Heidenheim vs Mainz 05

Mainz came away from the Voith-Arena with a hard-fought 1-2 victory that never quite settled into any sort of rhythm. Heidenheim started brightly and pressed high, but Mainz's visitors gradually took control of the midfield as the half wore on. Both sides had chances - ten shots for the hosts, twelve for the away side - but the clinical finishing separated them. It was tense rather than free-flowing, with possession split nearly down the middle at 47-53, yet Mainz made their chances count when it mattered. The result leaves Mainz with a valuable three points on the road while Heidenheim will rue their missed opportunities. The hosts had their moments and certainly didn't play badly, but ultimately couldn't find the breakthrough they needed. It's the sort of game where small margins decided it, and on this occasion the visitors' strikers did their job while Heidenheim's couldn't quite manage the same.

Heidenheim 1-2 Mainz 05 was the final score at Voith-Arena, in a game where Mainz 05 did enough across the ninety minutes to deserve the three points. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 47% in favour of Heidenheim, Mainz 05 made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 10 attempts from Heidenheim against 12 from Mainz 05 over the course of the game. It was not always comfortable for Mainz 05, and Heidenheim pushed for a way back into the game, but the result stood. Games like this can carry real weight later in the season, so this is a scoreline worth remembering. Below is a closer look at how the match broke down, statistically.