Mainz feeling safe

Thomas Tuchel: Goalless draw, but almost safe

Mainz as good as secured their Bundesliga survival with a 0-0 draw against Wolfsburg on Friday night.

The result means Thomas Tuchel's side can only theoretically be caught by Cologne, who would have to make up a 29-goal deficit on Mainz by winning their last three games to stand any chance of catching them.

Wolfsburg's hopes of playing in Europe are also merely theoretical now, although they have at least ended a three-game losing streak.

Mainz started brightly, with Ellkin Soto taking the ball through the midfield and passing to Mohamed Zidan, whose shot was not powerful enough to cause Diego Benaglio any problems.

Guilty

Eric Choupo-Moting set up Zdenek Pospech for a shot which was deflected wide in the 12th minute before Jan Kirchhoff tested Benaglio with a header from the corner.

Mario Mandzukic missed Wolfsburg's first chance of the game in the 14th minute when he headed straight at Christian Wetklo.

Ashkan Dejagah then pulled two almost identical shots wide of the far post as Wolfsburg began to gain the upper hand.

Zidan was guilty of missing Mainz's best chances before Alexander Madlung's free-kick was tipped over the crossbar in the 64th minute.

The chances dried up at both ends before Mandzukic missed two excellent opportunities late on, first shooting too close to Wetklo before he tapped the ball wide of the far post with almost the last kick of the game.