R. Schröder
Full-time
85'
LEVERKUSEN CRUISING HOME
The home support has not given up on their team tonight, but Leverkusen have been just too clinical for them to handle. The away side are cruising to all three points with all substitutions made and the game seemingly sown-up.
81'
Substitution
78'
Substitution
76'
MAINZ SHOWING FIGHT!
The home side haven't given up on this game yet and continue to push forward. Lukas Hradecky remains untested in the Leverkusen goal, though, and that will have to change if Mainz want to alter the scoreline.
71'
Substitution
64'
BRANDT BRACE!
Julian Brandt scores another superb goal with a perfect one-two, once again with that man, Kevin Volland. Brandt picks up the ball 30 yards from goal, beats a man and finds Volland, who simply plays the youngster in on goal, and he finishes to the right of Müller with ease. Outstanding football!
63'
JOB DONE FOR HAVERTZ
With four games in the next 16 days for Leverkusen - with Europa League games coming up - Peter Bosz makes a logical call to bring Kai Havertz off midway through the second half. He's done his job tonight, and has plenty of work to do over the coming weeks.
62'
Substitution
62'
Substitution
61'
MÜLLER WELL-POSITIONED
The Leverkusen attack is once again causing major problems to Mainz. A shot is blocked in the box and the ball falls to Aranguiz, who dinks a cross to the back post towards Bailey, but Müller claims the ball just in time ahead of the Jamaican.
55'
Substitution
51'
BAILEY COULD'VE MADE IT FIVE
Müller's throw out is intercepted by the Leverkusen attack and the ball is lofted to the back post where Bailey is waiting. His control is good, but the finish is lacking, with the ball drift wide across the face of the Mainz goal.
47'
BACK UNDERWAY
Five goals in the first half, five more in the second?
Kick-off!
Half-time
45'
BEST HALF OF THE SEASON SO FAR?
You'd have to do very, very well to find a better half of football in the Bundesliga this season - unless you're a Mainz fan... Five goals, four of them for Leverkusen and five different scorers between the two sides. An incredible half of end-to-end football, which Peter Bosz's side dominated from 20 minutes on with clincial finishing.
44'
BELLARABI STRIKES!
Brandt is breaking through the middle and beats a challenge to stay in possession before playing the ball to Bellarabi on the right wing. He sends a powerful low strike across the face of Müller's goal and into the bottom corner of the Mainz net. What an incredible first half for Leverkusen here!
42'
MARTIN HITS THE CROSSBAR!
The left-back collects the ball on the edge of the box and smashes at goal, but it hits the crossbar and goes behind.
37'
VOLLAND GOES JUST WIDE!
Superb trickery from Bailey, who takes the ball between two defenders with two lightning-quick touches before playing the ball to Volland in behind the Mainz defence. But he drags his shot across goal and wide despite being on his favoured left foot.
30'
BRANDT MAKES IT THREE!
Moments after Aranguiz had hit the crossbar, Julian Brandt makes it 3-1. Another superb team goal as Brandt plays the ball to Volland on the edge of the box and with his back to goal. No.31 clips the ball around Niakhate towards Brandt, continuing his run into the box, and he fires home past Müller with a tidy finish.
29'
MATETA FLUFFS HIS LINES
A long ball over the Leverkusen defence from Hack is pin-point and the striker brings it out of the air with ease before playing the ball to Mateta on the other side of the box. The Frenchman takes a first-time shot, but can't find the right contact on the ball and his shot drifts wide with Hradecky making sure.
20'
HAVERTZ STRIKES!
The teenager scores to bring Leverkusen ahead again. A wonderful goal, with his partner-in-crime Julian Brandt picking him out with an outstanding pass from the left wing to the edge of the box. Havertz had the difficult task of hitting a first-time shot into the bottom corner, but duly obliged in style.
18'
BAILEY NEXT TO HAVE A GO!
A great chance for the Jamaican after a lovely pick-out from Havertz's through ball sends him on his way down the left. But he drags his shot across goal and wide of the target.
17'
BRANDT AND VOLLAND GO CLOSE
A couple of chances in the space of two minutes for Leverkusen. Volland forces a save from Müller with a quick-fire shot from the edge of the box, while Brandt picked up the ball from the left corner of the Mainz box and shot just wide of the near post. End-to-end stuff here in Mainz so far, you can't take your eyes off it!
14'
START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON...
Leverkusen had actually started by making a few mistakes in defence, but immediately sprung to life with that Wendell goal. And a similar burst came from the home side just four minutes later, responding with Quaison's equally simple tap-in to bring us level already. Long may the goals continue...
9'
QUAISON TAPS HOME!
We're level again inside 10 minutes! A corner into the box is flicked on the back post by Hack, and there is Quaison to poke it home beyond Hradecky from just a couple of yards out.
5'
WENDELL PUTS LEVERKUSEN AHEAD!
A lightning Leverkusen counter-attack has Volland and Co. running away with the ball. The German striker clips the ball to the back post and Bellarabi reaches it, cutting the ball back towards goal and Wendell is there to tap home into an empty net with Müller stranded having committed himself to blocking Bellarabi at the post.
3'
BIG CHANCE MATETA!
Martin finds the back post in the Leverkusen box and Mateta is there to control the ball with only Hradecky to beat. But the flying Fin makes a superb save at his near post to start the game.
Kick-off!
KARNEVAL KIT FOR MAINZ
The home side are donning their new Karneval kit for the first time, with the festival period in the city about to get underway. A chequered number, it features white, yellow, red and blue squares, with blue shorts and multi-coloured socks. I think these two sides will be able to tell one another apart just fine tonight.
KICK-OFF COMING UP
We're closing in quickly on kick-off here at the Opel Arena. Mainz are looking to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Augsburg last weekend having gone four matches unbeaten before that. Leverkusen, on the other hand, want to build momentum on the back of their victory over Bayern Munich.
HEALTHY HAVERTZ, BUZZING BOSZ
Peter Bosz has been able to keep his team unchanged from the win over Bayern Munich last week, with Kai Havertz keeping his place in the starting line-up despite having gone off injured in that game last time out. Leon Bailey and Kevin Volland are both bang in form having scored in that game, with Lucas Alario and Paulinho providing options from the bench.
A TEENAGE DEBUT IN MIDFIELD
There's an extra man in the centre of Mainz's defence with Stefan Bell's return from injury not displacing either Alexander Hack or Moussa Niakhate. Luxembourg international Leandro Barreiro makes his Bundesliga debut from the start in midfield. The 19-year-old has impressed for the Mainz U19 team this season with three goals and four assists in just 11 games.
LEVERKUSEN
Hradecky – Weiser, Tah, S. Bender, Wendell – Havertz, Aranguiz, Brandt – Bellarabi, Volland (c), Bailey
MAINZ
Müller – Brosinski, Bell (c), Hack, Niakhate, Martin – Barreiro, Kunde – Boetius – Quaison, Mateta
TEAM NEWS
The all-important team news has arrived for tonight's game, and here's all the info you need to know.
Welcome along to the match centre for the game Mainz vs. Leverkusen from matchday 21 of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season at the OPEL ARENA. Check back here for full information on the match.