Mainz reclaim Bundesliga reins
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Article summary
1. FSV Mainz 05 returned to the top of the Bundesliga table thanks to a 1-0 success at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, after Borussia Dortmund could only draw 1-1 with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
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1. FSV Mainz 05 are back on top in the Bundesliga after their 1-0 success at Bayer 04 Leverkusen combined with a 1-1 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for previous leaders Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund began the day in pole position and were looking to post an eighth consecutive victory when they were stung by Demba Ba's ninth-minute opener for Hoffenheim. Nuri Şahin missed a retaken penalty as the hosts looked for an equaliser, but they eventually secured a share of the spoils when Antonio da Silva fired in a free-kick deep into added time – before Sejad Salihović saw red for the fourth-placed visitors.
That result presented Mainz with the chance to return to the summit and they seized it thanks to Andreas Ivanschitz's 70th-minute decider away against Leverkusen. The top two are due to lock horns in Mainz next Sunday. Elsewhere, VfB Stuttgart recorded only their second success of the campaign by beating FC St. Pauli 2-0.
