Japan striker Yoshinori Muto scored his third goal of the season on Saturday, but it was not enough to prevent Mainz from crashing to a 3-1 defeat at home to Werder Bremen in the German first division.
A double in the space of four minutes from Nigerian striker Anthony Ujah put Bremen in control and Mainz were left with a mountain to climb when Fin Bartels made it 3-0 to the visitors in first-half stoppage time.
Muto pulled one back in the 89th minute, bundling home a bouncing cross from right-back Daniel Bronsinski inside the six-yard box, but it was too little, too late. The striker then headed straight to hospital to nurse a knock on left ankle.