Yunus Malli scored a hat-trick for FSV Mainz 05 to move provisionally third in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Friday.
Jonathan Schmid put the visitors ahead on a counterattack with their first chance in the 13th minute, only for Malli to equalize inside the near post five minutes later.
Niko Bungert struck the crossbar for Mainz in the 53rd minute, before Malli cut inside and made it 2-1 with a classy strike to the top corner in the 61st.
Photo: AFP
The Mainz No. 10 completed his hat-trick eight minutes later when the ball rebounded off defender Kim Jin-su for him to score at the second attempt.
Mainz moved three points behind Bayern Munich and leaders Borussia Dortmund, ahead of the rest of the fifth round of fixtures.
“We are just taking it game by game,” said Japan striker Yoshinori Muto, who helped set up Malli’s third goal.
Hoffenheim were left sitting third from bottom after their fourth defeat from five games.
“There are moments in your career when the ball just does not go in,” said Kevin Volland, who was thwarted by Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius in a one-on-one in the 23rd minute.
Hoffenheim appeared to lack the creative presence of Roberto Firmino, who joined Liverpool for a Bundesliga-record 41 million euros (US$46.5 million) in the off-season. The Brazilian scored 38 goals and set up 28 more in 140 Bundesliga games for Hoffenheim.
“He has gone and we have to get on without him,” Volland said.
LIGUE 1
Stade Rennais moved level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 on Friday after a 1-1 home draw against ten-man Lille OSC, who had Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama sent off.
The Brittany club are enjoying their finest ever start to a season as they improved to four wins, a draw and one defeat to take their 13th point alongside the defending champions. For Lille, the result was their fourth draw in six matches to go with one victory and a defeat as Herve Renard’s men climbed to tenth.
The visitors grabbed the opening goal just after half-time when French-born Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal fired a low left-foot shot past the despairing dive of Rennes goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo. It was only Lille’s second goal of the season, but their chances of victory suffered a blow when Enyeama was shown a straight red card for bringing down Ivory Coast striker Giovanni Sio and conceding a penalty in the process with 23 minutes left. Reserve goalkeeper Mike Maignan came in to face the penalty and promptly blocked Paul-Georges Ntep’s shot down the middle of the goal with his legs.
However, Ntep made up for his mistake minutes later when he bundled the ball home for the Rennes equalizer following a scramble in the Lille penalty box on 77 minutes.
LA LIGA
Serbia forward Stefan Scepovic scored an early goal to give Getafe a 1-0 win against Malaga in the La Liga on Friday.
Getafe midfielder Victor Rodriguez raced up the right against a retreating defense and made a pinpoint cross to the middle of the penalty area for Scepovic to head past goalkeeper Idriss Kameni in only the second minute.
“[We] were able to translate what our coach told us in the dressing room into action on the pitch,” said Scepovic, who looked ahead to the next match at Atletico Madrid in the fifth round of fixtures.
“We all know what it is like to play in the Estadio Vicente Calderon and it is important for us to be going there with a victory under our belts,” Scepovic said.
Malaga came close to equalizing in the 83rd minute, but goalkeeper Vicente Guaita held onto Sergio Barbosa’s free-kick.
The win means Getafe climbed to 12th in La Liga on three points, but Malaga have yet to score a goal this season and have just two pointss.
“Football is like that. When you leave space, when you are a bit asleep, they kill you,” Kameni said. “We are in a very competitive league and we have to wake up.”
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