Mainz 3-0 Red Bull Leipzig

Mainz 3-0 Red Bull Leipzig

Bundesliga

Sunday 29th April 2018

Situated quite literally in the middle of nowhere, Mainz's corporately-named OPEL Arena takes the 'out of town' stereotype to a whole new level.

The spaceship has landed next to the cabbage patch

There's an agricultural (and downright ridiculous) feel towards the place as there's nothing but, erm, open fields on all four sides of the grounds and everyone knows watching an old fella pick crops or a farmer tend to a field from your seat in the stands is the greatest form of pre-match entertainment since Wolfie and the Three Little Pigs had a fight, many years ago.

When Mainz made the decision to move here, Germany's answer to Jack Sugden must have been laughing all the way to the Deutsche Bank knowing full well the location would piss off most fans and probably his fellow farmers.  One can only reach the conclusion that it was planned by someone who either despises football fans or supports Eintracht Frankfurt.

It's a good job the club didn't keep with the general tradition of having their training complex situated next to the stadium as I'd hate to see the German version of Claude Greengrass going mental because people have been trampling over his cabbage patch.

You'll never walk alone on the footpath to the ground

The stadium isn't that straightforward to reach by public transport when compared to Germany's high standards and other Bundesliga clubs. Trams and buses terminate around a kilometre away, leaving supporters with a 10-15 minute walk down a stony footpath - something which must feel bloody brilliant whenever it rains and again makes you ask the question why they chose to build this monstrosity so far out of town?

Mainz's fans have also had to show a lot of patience with their team this season as they're caught up in a tight relegation battle and are within reaching distance of perennial strugglers Hamburg, who look like they could defy the odds yet again and somehow survive.

Looking towards the terraced end of the ground

The visitors for this game were RB Leipzig, who have suffered from a bout of 'second-season syndrome' and although they're still in the running for a top four finish which would guarantee a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, there are other teams better positioned and more deserving of one.

Leipzig started the game with a spring in their step but despite obliterating the hosts both territorially and stats-wise in the first 15 minutes, they squandered two glorious chances with Timo Werner and Naby Keita being the culprits.

The OPEL Arena reminded me a bit of Stoke City's ground

Mainz's last home game made international headlines as the referee got in a right kerfuffle after blowing his whistle for half-time then subsequently checking VAR and awarding a penalty during the interval, and history was repeating as Sandro Schwarz's side were given another chance to score from 12 yards after Yoshinori Muto was fouled inside the box.

Pablo De Blasis duly converted and from that point onwards there was an inevitably that the top half side were going to rue those early missed chances.

Throughout, both teams were sloppy and careless with the ball and it wasn't at all surprising that some sloppy possession-play led to the second goal. Alexandru Maxim emphatically finished from about 10 yards following a quick counter-attack after a Leipzig midfielder's bad touch led to him being dispossessed on the halfway line.

Safe standing, but not safe enough for the Premier League? Hmmm...

With the result beyond doubt, the visitors quickly self-destructed and Bote Baku made it 3-0 to Mainz early in injury-time, before Naby Keita was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence - apparently it was his fourth red card this season so Premier League referees ought to take note as he's joining Liverpool for a ridiculous over-inflated fee in the summer.

Having now seen Mainz play twice this season - the other being in a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach where there was very nearly one a goalkeeping cock-up of the highest order - then I'm at a loss as to why they have generally struggled, but one more victory now would pretty much secure their status as a top-flight club for another year.

As for Leipzig, if they can qualify for European football for a second successive season, that would be success in it's own right when you consider where they were only a couple of years ago.

All four stands played their part in a crucial win

On a separate point altogether, I never ceased to be amazed by the value for money which the Bundesliga matchday experience offers compared to every other 'top' league in Europe - and how greatly it contrasts from the cash cow of the English Premier League.

Leipzig enjoy an attack in a sun-drenched stadium

A ticket on the large terrace (yes, they have terracing in Germany) cost just 13.50 and there was no sign of any trouble whatsoever with fans happily participating in some great TIFO choreography and enjoying a beer or two in full view of the pitch. The terrace wasn't safe standing-type 'rail seats' that are featuring heavily in British news at present, but more an old-fashioned area for people to stand up and enjoy the match.

The value of treating supporters with respect doesn't end there as the match ticket also included free train travel to and from Frankfurt, which takes about 35 minutes.

Now compare that to England, where the authorities don't seem wiling to budge on all-seater stadiums (at least in the top two divisions). Could you also imagine any London clubs offering free travel on the Underground to games?

The OPEL Arena will probably be a Bundesliga venue again next season

The Bundesliga remains streets, or in Mainz's case large open fields, ahead of its competitors when it comes to value and enjoyment.