Maxim Choupo-Moting scored the penalty to rescue a point for FSV Mainz 05 as they fought back from a goal down against Hertha Berlin at the Coface Arena.

Thomas Tuchel made two changes to the team that won at the Bayer Arena. Nicolai Müller returned to the starting line-up whilst Shawn Parker replaced Ja-Cheol Koo, who dropped to the bench. Tuchel lined up with an attacking 4-4-2 formation with essentially four strikers starting.

With a win Mainz could climb up to eight in the Bundesliga whilst a win for Jos Luhukay’s Hertha would see them finish match-day twenty-four in sixth.

Mainz faced Hertha off the back of a 1-0 win against Bayer Levekusen, while keeping three clean sheets in as many games. Whilst Hertha were unbeaten in two games, and winning their previous away game.

Luhukay made two changes to his Hertha team. Per Skjelbred returned to the starting line-up whilst Fabian Holland returned in defence.

It was Mainz who got off to the better start when Müller saw his header glance just wide of the far post after seven minutes. In a half that was battled in midfield, it was then top scorer Shinji Okazaki who could have added to his nine goals. A cross from Choupo-Moting found him unmarked at the far post, heading just over the bar.

Just seconds later Müller found himself through on goal, only for Thomas Kraft to rush out of his area to deny the Mainz danger-man in style.

It took Hertha twenty minutes to carve out their first real opportunity of the gam. A costless-kick from Marcel N’Djeng found Sami Allagui at the far post for him to head straight at Loris Karius. A wasted opportunity for Hertha, were the first goal in this allimportant fixture could have proved the decided, even at such an early stage.

It was another twenty-two minutes before Hertha had another real opportunity when Adrian Ramos put through Allagui, who pulled the ball back. However, there were no other Hertha players in the box. However not before Choupo-Moting fired his shot straight at Kraft whilst a nice bit of footwork from Parker in the box before eventually releasing his shot for the Hertha number one to produce another fine save.

Both teams went into half-time stalemate but it would be Tuchel’s men who went in the happier team. Luhukay brought on Ronny for the restart who replaced N’Djeng, in an attempt to reshuffle his Hertha Berlin side.

Just minutes into the second half and Skjelbred produced a fine save from Karius with a left-footed shot just inside the box, before Adrian Ramos put the away side ahead grabbing his 15th goal of the season after fifty minutes.

A mistake at the back from Choupo-Moting as he dwelled on the ball was then dispossessed by Skjelbred- who found Ramos on the edge of the 18-yard-box before firing his right footed shot low into the far corner.

Much like the first-half, it was Mainz who were perhaps dominating the possession stats but did not have much to show for it. However with their first real attack of the second half Mainz were awarded a penalty after Okazaki was brought down by Allagui.

It was Choupo-Moting who stepped up to take the penalty, calmly slotting past Kraft to make amends for his earlier mistake.

The only half-chance in the final twenty minutes of the match was a forty-yard costless-kick from Hertha substitute Ronny who produced a magnificant save from Karius who parried the ball wide.

Muller was replaced by Júnior Díazafter after seventy-six minutes, while Koo replaced Parker who will look to cement his starting place in Mainz line-up against Hoffenheim.

Speaking after the game Tuchel told Bundesliga.com: “I’m glad we managed to come back and snatch a point.”

Whilst Luhukay told the same website: “We did much better in the second half, Ronny inspired our game.”

With both teams sharing a point, Mainz now find themselves in seventh only separated by goal difference with FC Augsburg for the final Europa League spot. Hertha Berlin remains in ninth just two points off the Europa League places.