The lynchpin of Mainz’s 4-1 win over Augsburg was Jonathan Burkardt and Karim Onisiwo, who combined for six scoring points.
“Onisiwo could do what he wants today. Like Lewandowski against the whole league,” Rafal Gikiewicz, the pitiful FC Augsburg goalkeeper, grumbled on Friday night at the Mewa Arena after his club’s 1:4 defeat. With his goal for 1:0 and the assists for 3:0 and 4:1, Onisiwo has three scorer points. Burkardt scored just as many in front of national coach Hansi Flick, who watched the action from the stands together with assistant Marcus Sorg: Burkardt skilfully set up Bell’s 2:0, and he personally scored the 3:0 and 4:1.
“Both of them scored three points and also did a lot for the team, always playing in their own half, which makes me happy for them, but also how they helped the team,” summed up coach Bo Svensson. “We are happy with the win and the performance. In the first half we executed very well what we wanted to do. In the second half we lost the thread a little bit, which is always an issue with us,” criticised the 05 coach.
Burkardt self-critical despite brace
The high-flyer of the evening was “Jonny” Burkardt, who scored his first brace in his 50th Bundesliga game. With four goals this season, he already has more than in his first three Bundesliga years, in which he scored only three times in total. “It was definitely a very nice day and a very nice evening of football for the whole team because we all put in a good performance today,” said the self-critical striker. “Today I’m happy with my performance but I can always do better, I had another chance where my first touch wasn’t perfect to make the chance even bigger. Effectiveness is one thing I want to keep working on. The one game now doesn’t change that,” he added.
It was goals two and three that he scored in front of Flick’s eyes; the national coach had also been sitting in the stands during Mainz’s 2-0 win at TSG Hoffenheim. Burkardt, the U-21 captain, only found out that he was back against Augsburg after the game. “That’s a nice minor matter, but it’s more important that we won today and put in a good team performance,” Burkardt was his usual modest self.
