‘Absurd’: Manager loses 6-2 and 3-0 after turning down Wolves move

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Bo Svensson must have been wondering what had hit him as Ridle Baku raced through on goal and landed the knockout blow during Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat to a previously-hapless Wolfsburg at the MEWA Arena. 

This was not, as Svensson said at full-time, a ‘3-0 game’. Mainz had more possession and more shots than their opponents. They hit the post moments before Wolfsburg scrambled in a 33^rd minute opener from a corner. Maxi Arnold then doubled the lead with a bizarre, swerving free-kick. And Baku’s third, slotted home on the counter with Mainz pushing forward, only made a further mockery of the statistics.  

Wolfsburg scored three goals from an XG of 0.8. Mainz, meanwhile, didn’t score at all from an XG of 1.2. No wonder Svensson was scratching his head at full-time. 

Wolves looked at Mainz coach Bo Svensson before hiring Julen Lopetegui

“I think it’s a bit absurd that it’s a 3-0 defeat for us,” the defender-turned-coach told Sky’s Bundesliga Highlights Show. “We weren’t able to score, and conceded a couple of strange goals. But we can take a lot of (good) things with us from the performance.” 

If anything sums up the topsy-turvy nature of the Bundesliga, it’s Mainz last three results. After hammering Cologne 5-0, they lost 6-2 at a rampant Bayern Munich before dominating Wolfsburg and losing by a three-goal margin.

Svensson’s 05ers have won five and lost five in 2022/23. The challenge of turning Mainz into a team capable of pushing for Europe, however, is keeping Svensson’s fire burning; a coach labelled ‘outstanding’ by club legend Jurgen Klopp rebuffing Wolverhampton Wanderers’ advances before committing his future to a club who looked certs for relegation when he took over a couple of seasons back. 

“I feel very, very comfortable in Mainz,” the 43-year-old told VRM in October when quizzed about those Wolves links. “The task we have at the moment is very interesting. At the moment, I have a lot of work here. I give everything (to Mainz).” 

During their final two outings before the World Cup break, Mainz will travel to Schalke before hosting Eintracht Frankfurt. Whether they pick up six points, three points or none, it’s bound to be entertaining.