Reyna delivers Dortmund again with late winner vs Mainz
MAINZ: American striker Gio Reyna scored a last-gasp winner in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Mainz on Wednesday, securing the three points deep into injury-time.
The 20-year-old US international Reyna also scored the fourth in Dortmund’s 4-3 home win over Augsburg on Sunday.
On Wednesday he nodded in a header with a minute of injury time remaining, sinking a dogged Mainz.
Dortmund lacked their usual fluency in attack, a consequence of missing the suspended Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham’s absence, along with a long-term injury to Marco Reus and Mats Hummels starting from the bench, meant defender Niklas Suele captained Dortmund for the first time.
Manager Edin Terzic promised on Tuesday to fix the side’s leaky defence, but Dortmund got off to the worst possible start when Lee Jae-sung gave Mainz the lead in just the second minute.
Jae-sung leapt past Julian Ryerson to head in a corner from Edimilson Fernandes, giving the home side their early lead.
Ryerson, playing just his second match for Dortmund ater arriving from Union Berlin in January, quickly made up for his error, equalising just two minutes later with a deflected long-range effort.
With two goals ater just four minutes, the game looked on course to match Dortmund’s 4-3 home thriller over Augsburg from Sunday, but both teams dialled down the intensity for the remainder of the first half.
Terzic made a triple change ater 61 minutes, bringing on wingers Reyna and Jamie Bynoegitens -- both of whom scored from the bench against Augsburg -- alongside returning striker Sebastien Haller.
Haller had the crowd on their feet ten minutes ater coming on when alone on goal near the penalty spot. But was a step too slow and saw the ball claimed by Mainz goalie Finn Dahmen.
With the match looking to be petering out into a draw, Reyna pounced on Haller’s assist, sending the ball past Dahmen and into the back of the net.