Double goal scorer Karim Onisiwo gave FSV Mainz 05 a great start to the Bundesliga season at VfL Bochum.
The Austrian striker scored both goals for coach Bo Svensson's team in a 2-1 (1-1) win. Onisiwo gave Mainz the lead in the 26th minute in front of 24,110 spectators in the Ruhr Stadium and then scored again in the closing stages (77').
The VfL, which is traded by many experts as the number one relegation candidate, did not play a bad football game, but was too harmless in the end. More than the interim equalization by ex-Mainzer Kevin Stöger (39th) was not possible for Bochum. In the past season, the team of coach Thomas Reis surprisingly held the class as a promoted team.
With a lot of commitment and consistent duel leadership, Bochum developed advantages at the beginning. VfL won the first important duels man against man. The audience honored this with applause. The first chances also belonged to the hosts. Stöger shot over the orphaned goal from a long distance, 05 keeper Robin Zentner parried a remarkable direct acceptance by Gerrit Holtmann.
Then things got hectic. Bochum's Maxim Leitsch, who had been with Mainz 05 for many years, got the ball after a header from Simon Zoller. The VfL players vehemently demanded a penalty kick, but referee Felix Zwayer, after consulting the video assistant and viewing the TV images himself, decided against it (18').
Bochum played well but made a mistake in defense. Central defender Erhan Masovic misjudged a cross from Edimilson Fernandes. Onisiwo used this with a placed header to guide the guests.
Mainz, who had to be without the injured striker Jonathan Burkardt and their sick captain Silvan Widmer for a short time, had chances to extend their lead. But inaccuracies in the end and Bochum's goalkeeper Manuel Riemann kept VfL in the game. In a phase in which Mainz seemed to have the game under control, Stöger of all people managed to equalize. The 28-year-old hit the corner with a mixture of a cross and a shot from half-field.
Bochum took the momentum of the goal and continued to play forward. Similar to Mainz before, VfL also lacked the necessary precision in the end. Both an attempt by Takuma Asano and a shot by Zoller flew over the goal after the hour. Mainz was hardly in front - but then Onisiwo struck again. As in the first round, the match winner scored with a head to the acclaimed away win.
