Eintracht Frankfurt 2 : 2 Mainz - Eintracht battle back to draw

Posted Wednesday, September 24, 2014 by PA

Eintracht Frankfurt and Mainz shared the spoils with a 2-2 draw in a local derby at the Waldstadion.

The hosts came back from two goals behind, with Haris Seferovic equalising in the 82nd minute.

The Bundesliga's top goalscorer Shinji Okazaki earlier moved on to five for the season after Jonas Hofmann's opener, before Alexander Meier brought the hosts back into the game.

Mainz also had a penalty awarded, but referee Felix Brych went back on his decision after consultation with his assistants, much to the visitors' disappointment.

The best of the early chances were wasted by Frankfurt's Takashi Inui, and the home team were made to pay just before the break with two quick-fire goals putting unbeaten Mainz in command.

Hofmann gave them the lead in the 41st minute with an excellent finish into the bottom right-hand corner from Daniel Brosinski's pass, and the offside flag remained down.

Okazaki then doubled Mainz's lead, placing his shot through the legs of Kevin Trapp with Brosinski again involved.

They were unable to take their two-goal cushion into the break, though, with Meier scoring his second goal in as many games just on the stroke of half-time.

Mainz thought they were going to have the chance to extend their lead again in the 72nd minute when the referee pointed to the spot after Okazaki was brought down by Trapp inside the area.

However, after consultation with his assistants, referee Brych brought play back for an earlier foul by Brosinski on Bastian Oczipka, just before the ball arrived at Okazaki.

Mainz's anger turned to fury late on when Marc Stendera's free-kick was swung in deep for Seferovic to head back into the opposite corner of Loris Karius' goal.

There would have been still time for Mainz to win it, but Hofmann was denied by Trapp in a one-on-one situation which proved to be the Frankfurt goalkeeper's last involvement of the game as he limped off to be replaced by Felix Wiedwald for the dying seconds.