Mainz confirmed their Bundesliga status for next season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at FC St. Pauli on Sunday, deepening the hosts’ relegation worries.
Phillip Tietz gave Mainz an early advantage after capitalizing on a costly mistake in St Pauli’s half, with Sheraldo Becker providing the assist.
The home side pulled one back late through Ceesay, but it proved too little, too late.
The turnaround under head coach Urs Fischer has been remarkable. When the former Union Berlin boss took charge in December, Mainz were rooted to the bottom of the table. They have since climbed to 10th place with two matches remaining.
For St Pauli, the situation looks increasingly bleak. The Hamburg club sit third from bottom, occupying the relegation play-off spot, and are now without a win in eight matches.
They trail safety by six points and have a significantly worse goal difference.
A difficult run-in awaits them, with an away trip to RB Leipzig next before a final-day clash at home against fellow strugglers VfL Wolfsburg. Securing a play-off spot may now be their most realistic path to survival.
Elsewhere, bottom-placed 1. FC Heidenheim kept their hopes alive with a dramatic 3-3 draw against champions Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Borussia Mönchengladbach, still needing points to guarantee safety, host second-placed Borussia Dortmund, while second-bottom Wolfsburg face a tough test away at European-chasing SC Freiburg.
St Pauli sit just one point above 2009 champions Wolfsburg, who occupy one of the automatic relegation spots alongside Heidenheim, as the battle to avoid the drop intensifies heading into the final weeks of the season.
