Bayer Leverkusen and Javier Hernandez were victorious over a determined Mainz side, thanks to the Mexican's goal.
Stale first half finally livens up
Leverkusen dominated the opening exchanges with their opponents but were failing to turn the territory and possession into any sort of clear cut chances. The final ball seemed to be the real problem with Kevin Kampl and Karim Bellarabi finding room out wide, though they couldn't find the crucial final ball.
Wendell had the first real chance for the hosts mid-way through the half, after a Kampl crossed was hacked to the back of the box. The Brazilian defender was arriving at the perfect time and struck a powerful half-volley that slipped just past the far post. Hakan Calhanoglu was unusually quiet and his wild free-kick, which flew well over the bar, was an accurate summary of the game so far.
Mainz were stagnant in attack themselves and were very rarely able to move forward. Yoshinori Muto's speculative effort was all the Carnival Club could muster, though a late surge could have seen Leverkusen go into the break with a lead.
Loris Karius was forced into a strong save by Bellarabi's well-hit shot, who could only push it behind for a corner. From the resulting set-piece came the next opportunity for the home side and they were unfortunate not to go ahead. Christopher Kramer's cross was flicked up and over the stranded Karius, who looked to be beaten by his effort, although Niko Bungert recovered well and headed off the line.
Hernandez's moment of magic proves the difference
A rousing half-time team talk had seemingly risen Leverkusen from their attacking lulls and they looked more dangerous immediately after the restart. Calhanoglu finally managed to find the target and that almost provided the opener; Karius was down well to save and the rebound just evaded the attentions of Javier Hernandez.
Mainz had also came out with a more positive mindset and created an excellent opportunity for themselves. They would have hoped for it to fall for Yunus Malli and that was the case, but Bernd Leno spared the blushes of his defence and made a vital interception. Muto then set up the striker soon after and he rounded Leno, this time his touch was just too heavy and he couldn't keep the ball in play.
The goal was up for grabs and it took a moment of magic to break the deadlock. Hernandez picked the ball up in the middle of the park before spinning his marker and charging towards goal. The Mexican got within shooting range and let fly, with a slight deflection from Calhanoglu proving crucial to the ball going past Karius and into the net.
Stefan Kießling could have doubled and trebled the lead when he came off the bench, with the striker passing up two great chances to do so. He rattled the post from just a few yards out before heading inches wide in a similar position. It would not come back to bite the hosts, however, as they closed out the game to secure all three points.