Tietz at the double to lift Mainz over Hoffenheim

Fisnik Asllani’s stunning equaliser had cancelled out Tietz’s first-half opener, but the visitors showed resilience to snatch all three points late on, as the striker struck from close range to seal another crucial win for Urs Fischer’s side.

The opening stages at the PreZero Arena were played at a high tempo, with both sides trading early chances. Hoffenheim threatened first after 11 minutes when a long throw-in caught the Mainz defence napping, allowing Tim Lemperle to direct a close-range header towards goal. Daniel Batz reacted sharply, however, parrying the effort away at his near post.

Mainz made their breakthrough just two minutes later. A swift counter down the right saw Paul Nebel drive a dangerous low ball across the face of goal. Although it initially evaded everyone, Philipp Mwene kept the move alive and delivered an inviting cross for Tietz, who rose highest to power a superb header past Oliver Baumann and give the visitors the lead.

Hoffenheim responded well and were level within 10 minutes. Stefan Posch failed to clear his lines near the corner flag, and after a scramble, the ball broke to Asllani on the edge of the area. The forward made no mistake, unleashing a fierce strike beyond Batz to make it 1-1.

Mainz nearly restored their advantage shortly after. Nebel again was involved, whipping in a powerful first-time cross from the byline, but Baumann produced an excellent save to deny Jae-Sung Lee’s header.

The hosts had a golden opportunity of their own before the break. A mix-up at the back from Batz gifted Grischa Prömel possession inside the area, but Mainz’s defence recovered quickly to close him down. The loose ball then fell to Vladimir Coufal, whose effort was saved by the recovering goalkeeper, ensuring the sides went into the interval level.

Mainz started the second half brightly and almost retook the lead within three minutes. Kacper Potulski diverted a cross back across goal to Stefan Posch, but the defender failed to hit the target from close range, serving as an early warning for Hoffenheim.

The home side struggled to find a cutting edge after the restart, with Mainz largely comfortable defensively. Tietz came close to his second on 67 minutes after Ozan Kabak’s misjudged header fell kindly for him, but Baumann was equal to the effort with a routine save.

With 11 minutes remaining, Tietz finally grabbed his second - and Mainz’s winner. A throw-in on the left worked its way back to Mwene, whose delivery found the striker at the back post. Baumann made an excellent initial save, but the rebound fell straight back to Tietz, who reacted quickest to poke home from close range.

Hoffenheim nearly snatched an equaliser moments later. Wouter Burger surged forward and unleashed a spectacular long-range effort that beat Batz, only to crash off the inside of the post and bounce clear, much to Mainz’s relief.

From there, Fischer’s side showed their trademark discipline, defending resolutely and repelling everything thrown their way to secure a valuable victory. Hoffenheim, meanwhile, slipped to a second consecutive defeat, losing further ground in the race for the top four.