Mainz overcome first-leg deficit to book their place in UEFA Conference League group phase | OneFootball

Bo Henriksen’s side delivered the statement performance they had been searching for, brushing aside Rosenborg with an intensity and quality that set the tone from the opening whistle.

Die Nullfünfer showed their intent early, pressing high and suffocating their visitors. Their relentless pressure repeatedly forced turnovers, with Nelson Weiper going close in the 15th minute when his effort drifted narrowly wide.

The breakthrough came in the 28th minute. Jae-Sung Lee’s header was saved well by Tangvik, but Anthony Caci reacted quickest to fire home the rebound. Mainz’s relief was short-lived, however, as Stefan Bell’s mis-kicked clearance gifted Dino Islamović a one-on-one with Robin Zentner. The Montenegrin forward made no mistake, equalising in the 33rd minute to bring Rosenborg back in front on aggregate.

Mainz refused to be rattled and responded with a devastating quickfire double before half-time. First, Caci turned provider with a pinpoint cross that Lee powered home with a bullet header in the 43rd minute. Just seconds later, Mainz extended their lead further: their aggressive press regained possession immediately, Nadiem Amiri delivered a teasing cross, Lee cleverly dummied, and Weiper calmly slotted in to make it 3-1 by the 44th minute.

It was a dominant opening 45 minutes, reflected in the numbers: Mainz held 60% possession, registered six shots on target and had 21 touches in the opposition box, compared to Rosenborg’s solitary effort on target and just one touch in Mainz’s penalty area.

The second half began much the same way. Despite trailing, Rosenborg struggled to gain any foothold as Mainz continued to dictate proceedings. Their pressure paid off again in the 58th minute when Amiri robbed Väänänen high up the pitch and fired past Tangvik with the aid of a slight deflection, extending the lead to 4-1 and all but sealing Mainz’s place in the group phase.

The remainder of the half brought little change, with Rosenborg pinned back and forced to endure wave after wave of Mainz pressure. The visitors looked completely out of ideas and were fortunate not to concede further, much to the visible frustration of head coach Alfred Johansson, who will have expected a far stronger performance after his side’s first-leg success.

Referee Sander van der Eijk’s final whistle was met with jubilation from the 30,000 inside the Mewa Arena. It was a memorable night for Henriksen and his players, who not only secured European group phase football but also gained valuable momentum to carry into their domestic campaign, starting with Sunday’s clash against VfL Wolfsburg.

Mainz will discover their UEFA Conference League group phase opponents on Friday 29th August, when the draw takes place.