4–3 in Mainz – Three Points, Seven Goals, and Why Does Bayer Always Make It So Difficult?

Sometimes, as a Bayer Leverkusen fan, you really have to wonder why this team insists on making life so unnecessarily difficult. We're 2–0 up away at Mainz after just nine minutes, completely dominating the opposition, and everything points towards a comfortable Saturday afternoon. And what happens? It's 2–2 at half-time. We eventually win 4–3, but instead of celebrating a convincing away victory, we're left shaking our heads once again.

And it all started so beautifully. Robert Andrich, celebrating his 200th Bundesliga appearance, smashed an incredible volley into the net after just five minutes. Shortly afterwards, Patrik Schick doubled our lead, scoring for the fifth consecutive league match and equalling a club record. That's a remarkable achievement. Bayer were aggressive, direct and completely in control. Exactly the kind of football we want to see from this team.

But then came the part that drives you absolutely mad as a fan. Bayer didn't completely stop playing, but they noticeably dropped their intensity and tempo. Suddenly, Mainz were back in the game, finding space and creating opportunities. Anthony Caci scoring twice in nine minutes was no coincidence. Throwing away a 2–0 lead so carelessly simply shouldn't happen to a team with our ambitions.

At least the Werkself showed the right reaction after the break. Jarell Quansah restored our lead, although there was certainly room for debate about Schick's handball in the build-up. And then came Moussa Diaby. His wonderful curling effort to make it 4–2 wasn't just a fantastic goal, but also a special moment following his return to Leverkusen. These are exactly the kinds of moments we've missed from him.

Surely that should have settled the match. Surely. But apparently, Bayer wouldn't be Bayer these days without conceding another goal in stoppage time. The fact that Mainz managed 23 shots and actually finished well ahead on expected goals should give coach Carles Martínez plenty to think about. Scoring four goals away from home is excellent. Conceding three, however, is simply too much.

Of course, we shouldn't be overly negative. We've secured our first away win of the Bundesliga season, Schick keeps scoring, Diaby is finding his rhythm again, and going forward this team can be a joy to watch. We're also sitting fourth in the table after five matches, which is certainly encouraging considering our shaky start to the campaign.

But we shouldn't let the result disguise the problems. If Bayer genuinely want to compete near the top of the Bundesliga, they need to learn how to see out matches with much greater authority. Against Mainz, individual quality was enough to compensate for some alarming lapses in concentration. Against stronger opponents, we won't always get away with it.

And there is hardly any time to address these issues. Lech Poznań await in the Europa League on Thursday, followed by Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The demanding run of midweek fixtures has only just begun. It would be rather nice if the Werkself could occasionally give us a victory where we can actually relax on the sofa for the final ten minutes instead of desperately watching the clock.

My verdict? Four goals scored, three points secured, job done? Not quite. Of course I'm delighted with the win. But this unnecessary drama has to stop. Bayer have more than enough quality to win matches like this comfortably. Now they just need to demonstrate it for the full 90 minutes.