SPIESEN-ELVERSBERG, Germany (Interstat) — Elversberg produced a commanding first-half performance and defeated visiting Mainz 4-1 on Friday, turning early pressure, quick combinations and sharp finishing into a decisive lead before adding a fourth goal late. Felix Keidel opened the scoring in the seventh minute, and the home side kept Mainz on the back foot for much of the opening period. Elversberg’s pressing forced Mainz into repeated turnovers and limited the visitors’ ability to build sustained possession. Elversberg’s lead was built on incisive attacking play, while Mainz struggled to match the home side’s intensity and found its only response in stoppage time.

Keidel’s seventh-minute goal set the tone. Francis Onyeka doubled the advantage in the 26th minute, and Maurice Krattenmacher made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time at 45+1. David Mokwa Ntusu and Nicholas Mickelson each recorded an assist in the win. Mainz tried to disrupt Elversberg’s rhythm and picked up yellow cards through Mwene in the fourth minute and da Costa in the 33rd, but the visitors could not contain Elversberg’s attacking surges before halftime. Elversberg’s midfield found space repeatedly, and Mainz’s defense was forced into retreat. The home side’s finishing rewarded its control, and Mainz went into the break facing a three-goal deficit. Elversberg’s three first-half goals came from Keidel, Onyeka and Krattenmacher, with the home side’s movement creating problems throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Mainz made four substitutions in the 63rd minute, seeking a spark, but Elversberg remained organized and continued to create chances. Mainz’s 63rd-minute substitutions included Amiri, Mwene, Tietz and Nebel. Elversberg brought on Gunther in the 68th minute, then withdrew Onyeka and Krattenmacher in the 77th after their goals. Mokwa Ntusu, who had assisted earlier, was replaced in the 88th along with Petkov. Mainz also made a change in the 87th, with Sano entering. Cole Campbell added Elversberg’s fourth goal in the 90th minute. Benedict Hollerbach pulled one back for Mainz at 90+2. Mainz’s discipline worsened late in the second half, with Konigsdorffer booked in the 75th and Posch cautioned in the 85th and again in the 90+5th; the second yellow ended Posch’s match. The bookings added to Mainz’s difficult finish as Elversberg closed out the win.

The result leaves Elversberg with 4 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw in the competition and 8 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws across all competitions. Mainz is now 4 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws in the competition and 5 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws overall.

Mainz had entered the match after a loss at Bochum and had also dropped recent matches to Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen. Elversberg had lost to Darmstadt and RB Leipzig in its previous two outings but had scored four goals in a win over Augsburg earlier in the season. Mainz had beaten Schalke and Mannheim, while Elversberg had drawn with Schalke and lost at Mannheim. Those results gave the match a backdrop of uneven form, but Elversberg’s first-half performance quickly put the focus on the present result. Mainz’s late goal softened the final margin but did not change the outcome.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Elversberg 2, Mainz 1, while Interstat’s ELO system had projected Mainz with a 61.2 percent probability to win.