Mainz, Hoffendem miss opportunity with 0-0 draw

Anthony Modeste. (AP/Michael Probst)

BERLIN — Mainz drew 0-0 with Hoffenheim on Friday as both sides missed the chance to go provisionally top of the Bundesliga.

“The draw is in order. We’d have liked to have won but the result is fair,” Mainz sports director Christian Heidel said.

Hoffenheim forward Anthony Modeste had the best early chance for the visitors but shot straight at Lorius Karius. Roberto Firmino drew a good save from the Mainz goalkeeper in the 33rd and Niklas Suele headed just over from the resultant corner.

Then Filip Djuricic tried chipping Oliver Baumann at the other end but the Hoffenheim keeper was alert to it.

Firmino headed against the post from a narrow angle on the hour, in what was a hectic but error-strewn second half.

“It was very hard-fought from both sides,” said Hoffenheim striker Adam Szalai, who came on as a substitute against his former side.

Both sides remain unbeaten, joint-second on 10 points ahead of the rest of the sixth round.

League leader Bayern Munich visits Cologne on Saturday, when Borussia Dortmund visits Schalke for the Ruhr derby.

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