Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Moussa Niakhate scores their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS
Mainz 05 scored once in each half to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 on Saturday and move three points above the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot with four games left in the season.
The visitors went ahead two minutes before halftime thanks to Frenchman Moussa Niakhate's header from a corner for his first goal of the season. Eintracht, who are unlikely now to qualify for Europe, rarely threatened after an early Filip Kostic effort.
Despite a string of changes after the break and a somewhat higher tempo, the hosts, who have now won only twice in their last nine league games, were unable to break past the Mainz backline.
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Robin Quaison in action with Eintracht Frankfurt's Sebastian Rode, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS
As a result they did not register a single shot on target in the entire game.
Kunde Malong's solo run after winning possession in midfield killed off the game in the 77th minute and gave Mainz a crucial victory -- their first in the last six games -- in their battle to stay up.
They are 15th on 31 points, three above the playoff spot, with Frankfurt 11th on 35.
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Moussa Niakhate and Danny Latza celebrate after the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Moussa Niakhate scores their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Leandro Barreiro in action with Eintracht Frankfurt's Filip Kostic, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Phillipp Mwene in action with Eintracht Frankfurt's Filip Kostic, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Moussa Niakhate celebrates scoring their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany - June 6, 2020 Mainz's Pierre Kunde Malong celebrates scoring their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Alexander Hassenstein/Pool via REUTERS
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