Mainz 3-4 Leverkusen: Diaby decides a seven-goal game
Reviewed by Elison · Sat 10 Oct 2026Bundesliga
FSV Mainz 05FULL-TIME
Bayer LeverkusenSaturday 10 October 2026 · 15:30
Our score 1-2MissedHot tip Bayer Leverkusen to win✓ Won
Bayer Leverkusen claimed a dramatic 4-3 victory away at FSV Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga, surviving a spirited fightback from the hosts to take all three points. It was a match that swung repeatedly in momentum, with seven goals, multiple bookings and a flurry of second-half substitutions keeping supporters on edge until the final whistle.
How the Game Unfolded
Bayer Leverkusen struck twice in the opening nine minutes. Robert Andrich opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and Patrik Schick doubled the advantage four minutes later, converting with an assist from Aleix Garcia. Mainz were stung but responded well: Phillip Tietz was booked in the 20th minute, yet the hosts grew into the game and Anthony Caci pulled one back in the 33rd minute to make it 2-1. Sheraldo Becker was booked in the 35th minute, and seven minutes later Caci struck again — this time assisted by Nadiem Amiri — to level at 2-2 before the break.
Leverkusen regained the lead ten minutes into the second half when Jarell Quansah scored in the 55th minute to make it 3-2. Moussa Diaby then added a fourth in the 65th minute, assisted by Afonso Moreira, to put Leverkusen 4-2 ahead. Both sides made a series of changes in the minutes that followed. Lee Jae-Sung, who had come on for Mainz in the 70th minute, was booked in the 76th minute. Benedict Hollerbach came on for Becker in the 77th minute and made an immediate impact, scoring in the 90th minute to reduce the deficit to 4-3. Quansah was booked in the 90th-plus-third minute as the final whistle approached, but there was no further addition to the scoresheet and Leverkusen held on to win.
The Numbers
The statistics tell an interesting story about the nature of the contest. Despite conceding three goals, Mainz were the more prolific attacking side on paper, registering 23 total shots to Leverkusen’s 16 and placing 17 of those attempts from inside the box. The hosts also had five shots on goal compared to Leverkusen’s seven, and their expected goals figure of 2.87 was notably higher than Leverkusen’s 1.69 — underlining just how efficiently the visitors converted their opportunities.
Leverkusen enjoyed the greater share of possession, controlling 53 percent of the ball against Mainz’s 47 percent, and completed 433 accurate passes from 508 attempted compared to Mainz’s 367 from 442. The visitors also conceded fewer fouls — ten to Mainz’s eleven — and collected just one yellow card across the ninety-plus minutes, while the hosts were cautioned three times. Neither side was reduced to ten men, with no red cards shown to either team. Mainz earned four corner kicks to Leverkusen’s three, and the Mainz goalkeeper was called upon to make three saves, while his counterpart was required to make only one.
Conclusion
Bayer Leverkusen showed efficiency and resilience in equal measure to come away from a chaotic, open contest with the points. Mainz created chances in abundance and scored three deserved goals, but they were ultimately undone by Leverkusen’s clinical edge in the moments that mattered most. Anthony Caci’s brace was the highlight of an industrious home performance, but it was Jarell Quansah and Moussa Diaby who proved decisive for the visitors on a breathless afternoon in the Bundesliga.
