Mainz blow three-goal lead in Hoffenheim draw

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Berlin (AFP) – Mainz threw away a three-goal lead in a thrilling 4-4 home draw against Hoffenheim as Werder Bremen lost 2-1 to Augsburg to stay bottom of the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Mainz, who meet French side Saint-Etienne in Europa League action Thursday, looked on course for a rout with a Pablo De Blasis double on 3 and 23 minutes followed by another from Jhon Cordoba on 27.

Sandro Wagner reduced the deficit for Hoffenheim on 39 minutes with Levin Oztunali getting the hosts’ fourth two minutes before the break.

French defender Gaetan Bussmann was sent off after the break and his absence derailed the hosts with Mark Uth netting twice in the space of two minutes (71, 72) with Adam Szalai getting the equaliser on 84.

In Bremen, the arrival of Serge Gnabry from Arsenal failed to lift the northerners who remain rock bottom after two games with eight goals conceded and the future of Ukrainian coach Viktor Skripnik in doubt.

Bayern Munich remain top after Friday’s 2-0 win at Schalke, ahead of Hertha Berlin on goal difference with both teams on a maximum six points.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich’s French international striker Kingsley Coman has been declared fit again and trained Sunday ahead of the Bavarian outfit’s Champions League Group D opener with Russians Rostov in midweek.

The gifted 20-year-old injured an ankle when kicked by teammate Javi Martinez three weeks ago and was carted away on a stretcher, but he is now available for Tuesday’s home European game. 

“A decision over whether he plays or not will be taken on the day,” the club said on Sunday. 

Although Bayern boast Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller in attack, Coman’s movement and touch offer an alternative and unpredictable threat. 

At the same training session Sunday Dutch winger Arjen Robben and German defender Jerome Boateng both carried out light workouts, although the pair will not feature against Rostov.

The post Mainz blow three-goal lead in Hoffenheim draw appeared first on World Soccer Talk.

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Arsenal Handed Final Blow In Chase For Attacker?

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In case you weren’t aware, Arsenal aren’t having the best of transfer windows this summer.

Their chase for a striker isn’t going well, with only unknown Japanese forward Takuma Asano adding to Arsene Wenger’s attack.

Wenger is chasing Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez, and has recently been linked with a move for Julian Draxler.

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The Germany star has told Wolfsburg that he wants to leave the Bundesliga this season, after just one year at the club.

The 22-year-old joined The Wolves from Schalke 04 last summer, and despite the player willing to try and force a move away from the cub, Wolfsburg themselves have issued a statement saying the player will be going ‘nowhere’.

Draxler has been on the scene since he was 17, and was once denied the chance to play in a Champions League game for Schalke because the game would have finished after 10pm, as it’s illegal in Germany for anyone under 18 to work past 10pm.

Speaking to Bild, the midfielder said:

I want to leave Wolfsburg.

The coach knows for more than three weeks.

Two days after the semi-final at the European Championships I told him how I see the whole situation and what I want – which is to leave the club.

Draxler started four of Germany’s six games at Euro 2016, scoring in their 3-0 win over Slovakia, and has 24 caps for his country.

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As football fans know only too well, no matter how much a player might want to leave a club, if he’s under contract and the club don’t want them to leave, you’re fighting a losing battle.

That is unless a huge bid is tabled, but we all know Wenger and his money are never easily parted!

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