There were always going to be goal in the match, especially as there were 35 goals in the previous 7 meetings between the two, and Leipzig's 8-0 win in the reverse fixture in November. Mainz must have been fearing the worst when Werner opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Laimer got down the wing and crossed it in for Werner, who steered his shot past Muller into the bottom right-hand corner. The goal was his first goal in more than 3 months. Leipzig doubled their lead just over 10 minutes later.
The goal once again came from the right, with Sabitzer crossing for Poulsen who headed home from point-blank range to mark his 250th Leipzig appearance with a goal. The visitors then had a flurry of chances through Werner, Halstenberg, and Poulsen, before Sabitzer joined the party to make it 3.
After some pinball in the box, Nkunku's shot was saved from Muller, but the danger was not averted as Poulsen crossed for the Austrian who lifted the ball into the top righthand corner. Nkunku put a very big chance wide on the stroke of half-time, with Mainz counting their blessings that they were only 3-0 down at the break.
But Mainz were to get no mercy and Werner got his second of the match in the 48th minute. After some lovely work from Kampl which involved a one-two with Nkunku, the ex-Leverkusen man found Werner in the box who tapped it into the net as Leipzig ensured that every match between both sides has had at least 4 goals.
Leipzig kept threatening and it could have easily been the same scoreline as November, if not bigger. Werner spurned an opportunity to get his hat-trick in the 68th minute when he put it wide, but he wasn't to wait much longer as he became the hat-trick hero.
Poulsen played the ball in behind the Mainz defence for Werner who latched on to it, and he lifted the ball over Muller into the net to get his second hat-trick of the season against Mainz. Scouts from all of Europe's elite will surely have had an eye on today's proceedings.
May 24, 2020