Mainz entered the contest still reeling from back-to-back Bundesliga defeats without scoring, and their struggles looked set to continue after a punishing first half against a ruthless Bayer Leverkusen side.

The visitors made an ideal start, taking the lead from the penalty spot after Jonas Hofmann was brought down by Nikolas Veratschnig. Alejandro Grimaldo made no mistake from 12 yards, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Leverkusen doubled their advantage midway through the half with a goal of real quality. A slick exchange of one-touch passes around the Mainz box ended with Christian Kofane firing low into the corner — his third goal in as many league games.

The hosts, goalless in three previous home outings this season, finally found some fortune when Leverkusen failed to clear a long throw. Loïc Badé’s miscue fell kindly for Lee Jae-sung, who made no mistake to halve the deficit and lift the crowd.

However, Mainz’s momentum was short-lived. A quick turnover high up the pitch allowed Hofmann to feed Grimaldo, who finished neatly at the near post for his second of the afternoon, restoring Leverkusen’s two-goal cushion.

Before the break, Paul Nebel almost struck back with a mis-hit cross that clipped the bar, while Grimaldo narrowly missed out on a hat-trick early in the second half as his low effort flashed inches wide.

The hosts were handed a lifeline when Arnaud Nordin’s long-range strike hit the post, and in the ensuing scramble, Philipp Mwene was fouled by Arthur. Former Leverkusen man Nadiem Amiri stepped up to convert from the spot — his second penalty in three games — to bring Mainz back into contention.

Leverkusen substitute Martin Terrier then marked his first appearance since January with a poacher’s finish from close range, seemingly sealing the win. Yet Mainz refused to surrender, with Armindo Sleb curling home a fine effort in the 90th minute to make it 4–3 and set up a tense finale.

Despite their late rally, the hosts fell just short, extending their winless home run in the Bundesliga to nine matches dating back to February. Mainz remain mired in the bottom three, while Leverkusen’s victory — their third in succession — keeps their strong start rolling and sets the stage for a mouth-watering Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.