Before matchday 9, the number of goals scored is still in single figures for only seven clubs. Mainz and Augsburg are among them. All the more surprising, then, that there are many strikers’ goals scored there in percentage terms.
Five of eight FSV goals were scored by attackers, which corresponds to a rate of 63 percent. Jonathan Burkardt and Marcus Ingvartsen each scored two goals, while Adam Szalai scored once. Karim Onisiwo is the only striker from the Nullfünfer who has not scored in the league so far. Mainz’s rate is only surpassed by FC Augsburg (75 per cent), SpVgg Greuther Fürth (80 per cent) and Union Berlin (83 per cent). All clubs that are quite stingy with goals. Even if in the case of Union, with twelve goals, 15 points were scored, which is enough for fifth place in the table.
With ten forward goals, Union is only outdone by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund (eleven each). At the top clubs, more than half of the goals are usually scored by players from other parts of the team. In the case of Mainz and Augsburg, who meet on Friday evening, the weakness in standards also contributes to this. Mainz scored only one of their eight goals from a resting ball. Augsburg scored the first standard goal in their 1-1 draw against Bielefeld, defender Reece Oxford scoring with his head after a corner.
It was the first FCA goal not scored by an attacker. The three forward goals were scored by Andi Zeqiri and Florian Niederlechner (two), who is currently out due to a hernia. Augsburg and Mainz, however, have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the use of chances. FCA is 17th with 15.4 percent, FSV is 13th with 21.1.
While Mainz created 38 chances, Augsburg had just 26, the fewest of all Bundesliga teams. In view of this meagre number, FCA “didn’t deserve much more” than four goals in eight games, according to club boss Klaus Hofmann, and demands an improvement: “We have to be more consistent in the final third. We have learnt to defend in the meantime, the boys do that well, with a certain robustness and stability. But the clarity going forward can be improved significantly. “