Mainz edge to safety, Cologne stun Union Berlin

hammered a second-string Borussia Dortmund 3-0 on Saturday to haul themselves out of the Bundesliga’s bottom three, as Cologne came back to beat Union Berlin in a day of much importance for the relegation battle.

Sitting in the relegation playoff spot at kickoff, Mainz stunned the visitors by racing into a three-goal lead inside just 23 minutes.

Mainz, who are now eight games unbeaten since losing 8-1 to Bayern Munich in March, realistically need just a point from their final game of the season at Wolfsburg to secure another season in the German top flight.

With Dortmund’s Champions League qualification for next season now guaranteed, and a Champions League final against Real Madrid on the horizon, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic rang the changes.

“We set up the team similarly to what we did last week,”Terzic told Sky Sport Germany.

“We had a similar formation, only this time we were always inferior in the duels. Mainz punished the mistakes we made in the first half with ice-cold precision. That’s why it is a deserved defeat.”

Dortmund now sit four points behind fourthplace RB Leipzig but one spot behind Dortmund in sixth, Eintracht Frankfurt are a distance adrift of Terzic’s side, and drew 1-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their penultimate match of the season.

At the other end of the table, Mainz’s victory leaves Union Berlin languishing in the thick of the relegation fight.

“We’re overjoyed,” Cologne captain Kainz told Sky Sport Germany.

“It’s nerve-wracking to play like that, when you absolutely have to win the game. To turn it around, it was a hugely important victory. Unbelievable.”

But Mainz’s victory means the best Cologne can hope for on the final day is to secure a relegation playoff place at Union’s expense.

Union face a tricky season finale against Freiburg – who remained in the last European spot after drawing 1-1 against Heidenheim on Saturday.

Bochum travel to Werder Bremen on the final day, need a point from one of those games to ensure their Bundesliga survival. – Agencies