Zidan strikes as Mainz poach valuable point

AFP - 22 April 2007 20:52

Mainz 05 striker Mohamed Zidan, pictured February 2007, helped his side take a step closer to clawing their way out of the relegation zone as they picked up a valuable point in Sunday´s 2-2 draw at Hamburg.

BERLIN (AFP) - Mainz 05 striker Mohamed Zidan helped his side take a step closer to clawing their way out of the relegation zone as they picked up a valuable point in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Hamburg.

Zidan unleashed an unstoppable shot past Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost after 12 minutes before Argentinian defender Juan Pablo Sorin equalised for Hamburg from the penalty spot 11 minutes later.

After scoring his 12th goal of the season in just 17 games, Zidan provided the scoring pass for Fabian Gerber's 59th-minute strike until Hamburg's Jose Paolo Guerrero equalised seven minutes from time to share the points.

The draw leaves Mainz just two points from escaping the bottom three with four games left.

Mainz coach Juergen Klopp said: "We are very happy with the way we played, but not the result. But after some of our recent results we have to be fairly content, the point will help us, hopefully."

In Sunday's other game, Hanover's 1-0 win over bottom-side Borussia Monchengladbach came thanks to Dutch midfielder Arnold Jan Bruggink's 32nd minute winner.

The defeat leaves 'Gladbach almost certain to be relegated to the second division as they are now six points behind second-from-bottom Mainz with four games left.

'Gladbach coach Jos Luhukay said: "It's getting harder and harder for us to stay in the competition.

"We must keep fighting and play with honour at least. We are playing to our limits and we were well beaten by Hanover."

On Saturday, VfB Stuttgart inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Bayern Munich which all but ends the German giants chances of playing in the Champions League next season.

Bayern are fourth, one place away from a top-three spot which carries a Champions League place, with only four games left.

Schalke 04 returned to the top of the Bundesliga having lost pole-position for less than 24 hours - thanks to Werder Bremen's 3-1 win over Alemannia Aachen on Friday night - with a 2-0 victory at Energie Cottbus.

Coach Mirko Slomka was a relieved man after his side only went 1-0 up after an own-goal from Cottbus' Timo Rost on the hour.

"This was a really tough game for us in the first half time, there was no getting through their defence," said Slomka.

"We weren't aggressive enough, but in the second-half we raised the game and although we had some luck to get the first goal, we deserved the win."

Bayer Leverkusen, who have signed the Bundesliga's top-scorer Theofanis Gekas for next season, took opponents Nuremberg's fifth-place - and potential UEFA Cup spot - with a 2-0 home win.

Arminia Bielefeld clawed up one place to 15th and out of the relegation zone with a superb 3-2 win over VfL Wolfsburg having come from 2-1 down.

VfL Bochum moved away from the relegation dog-fight thanks to their 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, who slipped further down the table and hover just above the relegation zone.

And Borussia Dortmund boosted their chances of staying up with a 1-0 win at Hertha Berlin, which leaves them in 13th place.