Stuttgart Survives Mainz’s Furious Rally in Nine-Goal Thriller to Stay Undefeated in 2. Frauen Bundesliga

MAINZ, Germany — In a contest that swung from wild to wilder, Stuttgart withstood a desperate late surge from Mainz 05 Women, prevailing 5-4 in a pulsating encounter at Stadion am Bruchweg that rewrote expectations for both ambition and anxiety in the 2. Frauen Bundesliga title race.

For Stuttgart, the victory cements an unblemished league record—three wins and three draws from six—and fortifies their status as credible promotion contenders, now just a step behind the division’s summit. For Mainz, the outcome is a heartbreak, another match where their attacking promise was offset by defensive lapses, leaving them mired in mid-table uncertainty and still searching for the consistency that has eluded them throughout a turbulent autumn.

Fireworks From the Outset

The match’s opening minutes set the tone—a blur of intent and imprecision. Stuttgart, brimming with confidence after scoring nine goals in their previous two outings, struck first. Their breakthrough arrived in the 8th minute, a sweeping move finished by star forward Lena Heß, who slotted home after a sharp cutback exposed Mainz’s left flank. Heß’s opener marked her third goal in as many matches, a testament to the visitor’s forward depth and tactical coherence.

Mainz, galvanized by the early deficit, responded sharply. In the 15th minute, midfielder Chiara Köhler pounced on a loose ball from a set-piece, rifling a shot from outside the box beyond Stuttgart’s sprawling goalkeeper. The equalizer ignited the home crowd—and, for a brief stretch, Mainz asserted control, pressing high and snapping into tackles with renewed vigor.

Stuttgart restored their advantage just before the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a defensive miscue. A loose back pass was intercepted by Mara Siegel, who calmly finished for 2-1. That setback rattled Mainz, who conceded again minutes later: Stuttgart winger Jule Reuter bent a low cross that somehow evaded everyone, nestling inside the far post for Stuttgart’s third.

Yet, the half’s final act belonged to Mainz, who clawed their way back with a clinical counterattack. A slick exchange between Köhler and striker Selina Jäger culminated in Jäger glancing a header in off the bar, narrowing the halftime deficit to 3-2—and setting the stage for a breathless second half.

A Second-Half Avalanche

The interval failed to calm the chaos. Stuttgart seized initiative once more, surging ahead 5-2 by the 60th minute courtesy of goals from defender Milena Krüger, heading in a corner, and Reuter’s second, a deft finish following a swift overlap down the right.

For most visiting sides, a three-goal cushion might have inspired comfort, but today at Bruchweg, nerves remained. Mainz refused to fold, with substitute Amelie Ernst injecting energy and vision. In the 68th minute, Ernst pulled one back, exploiting space created by Stuttgart’s increasingly ragged midfield.

Tensions boiled over in the 73rd minute as Stuttgart’s captain, Julia Baumann, saw red for a rash challenge at midfield, reducing her side to ten. The numerical advantage spurred Mainz into sustained attack, and their aggression bore fruit in the 81st minute when Jäger lashed home her second—a poacher’s finish after chaos in the penalty area.

With the scoreline now 5-4 and a man advantage, Mainz pressed relentlessly. The final minutes unfolded as a siege: Ernst hit the bar, Köhler’s volley was tipped wide, and every Stuttgart clearance was met by groans or groans of anticipation from the stands. Yet the visitors, battered and beleaguered, held out until the final whistle.

Standing at the Crossroads

Stuttgart’s win propels them to 12 points and solidifies second place, only two back from top spot and, crucially, still unbeaten. Their attack is now the division’s most prolific, with 19 goals in six matches—a statistic that increasingly feels inseparable from their promotion ambitions.

For Mainz, now with eight points from six and occupying eighth, this marks a third consecutive winless league match—a frustrating stretch bookended by near-misses and defensive inconsistency. Their attack, led by the effervescent Jäger and industrious Köhler, remains a threat to any opponent, but their resolve at the back is in doubt, particularly against direct, pacey attacks.

The Broader Narrative

This encounter was the season’s first between these sides—a head-to-head without recent precedent yet unmistakably fraught with subplots: Stuttgart’s relentless chase for promotion, Mainz’s struggle for identity amid evolving expectations. The red card to Baumann, Stuttgart’s backbone, promises aftershocks for upcoming fixtures, especially as their depth will be tested.

For Stuttgart, the path forward brings a chance to consolidate their title challenge, but looming fixtures against fellow contenders will demand greater composure than was on display in Mainz. For Mainz, the challenge is psychological as much as tactical—how to convert attacking verve into points, how to shore up a defense that, when breached as today, leaves even the bravest rallies just short of reward.

Sunday’s nine-goal spectacle was not for the faint of heart—an advertisement for the league’s unpredictability, and a reminder that in the 2. Frauen Bundesliga’s crowded middle, fortunes can shift with a single half. For Stuttgart, the horizon brightens; for Mainz, the search for answers continues.