Wolfsburg Kruse to huge win over Mainz
Max Kruse scored a hat-trick and Jonas Wind added a brace as Wolfsburg blew away Mainz with a 5-0 win in the Bundesliga on Saturday (AEST).
It took Wolfsburg just eight minutes to open the score, Wind breezing into the right spot to tap the ball home after Lukas Nmecha’s audacious back heel had come back off the post and the back of goalkeeper Robin Zentner.
Mainz had a golden chance to level when Jonathan Burkardt dispossessed Sebastiaan Bornauw but he was denied by the outstretched leg of Koen Casteels.
Mainz, though, was hampered severely in the 23rd minute when when Niklas Tauer was send off for tugging back Nmecha as he ran into the box. Kruse stepped up and made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Kruse added his from a Ridle Baku cross and Wind secured his first Bundesliga brace minutes later when he pounced from close range.
Wolves hit their fifth before the break when Kruse sealed his hat-trick, latching on to Yannick Gerhardt’s ball in from the left.
Mainz sent on four new faces for the second half and the 10 men made a good fist of things to keep the scorers quiet for the entire second period.
The result likely removes any relegation worries for Wolfsburg, while for Mainz, which is two points better off, any hopes of European qualification are now as good as dead with just three games to go.
