Werder take points from Mainz in opening round
Werder Bremen women came away with a win at Mainz 05 in the Frauen-Bundesliga, closing out a 2-1 victory on Saturday. M. Shimada gave the hosts an early lead with a goal in the second minute, but Werder responded through I. Jaron after missing a penalty just before. S. Matheis added a second for the visitors before the break, and they held on despite Mainz pressing late.The opening exchange was quick. Shimada found the net within two minutes, and Mainz thought they had doubled their advantage when Jaron's spot-kick hit the frame in the 30th minute. The visitors were not denied a second chance, though, and Jaron converted from the spot in the 31st minute after Flach went off with a booking. Matheis then made it 2-1 from open play in the 44th minute, and Werder were ahead at the interval.
Werder controlled the shape of the game more effectively. They registered 100 attacks compared to 79 for Mainz, and their 55 per cent possession told a similar story. Mainz had five shots on target with six off, while Werder landed seven on target and missed five, but the visitors were sharper when it mattered. The clean-sheet run came to an end for Mainz, but the result mattered more than the numbers.
Substitutions changed the rhythm in the second half. Werder brought on V. Kats in the 57th minute and replaced Jaron the following minute, while Mainz shuffled their pack with Dhont and Flach off in the 74th and 82nd minutes. D'Angelo, Gutmann and Shimada all came off for Mainz in the 83rd minute as they searched for an equaliser. Desic picked up a late booking for the hosts in stoppage time.
The standings now show Werder sitting third with six points from two games, while Mainz remain bottom on zero from two defeats. The hosts have yet to register a win after back-to-back losses, while the visitors have taken maximum points so far. Werder closed the game out with discipline, and Mainz tightened things up too late to salvage anything.