Xabi Alonso's time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen ended with a 2-2 draw against Mainz on the final day of the Bundesliga season. While the result ensures Die Werkself set a new German top-flight record for consecutive away matches unbeaten, Mainz were the day's big winners - despite having four goals ruled out - as they secured qualification for next season's UEFA Conference League.
As Alonso bowed out of German football, his stated aim pre-match was to set a Bundesliga record of 34 away games unbeaten.
Mainz needed a victory to guarantee a European place next season, and as early as the second minute the hosts were denied a penalty after a handball claim against Piero Hincapié.
With it quickly obvious that Mainz were the hungrier of the two teams, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Paul Nebel both went close with less than five minutes played, and the latter fired wide shortly after with the goal gaping.
The visitors’ defence wasn’t able to settle as the likes of Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt pressed high up the pitch, whilst Leverkusen’s only first-half chance didn’t arrive until 10 minutes in, with Florian Wirtz’s shot quickly blocked.
A super Mainz move on 14 minutes looked to have led to the opener from Amiri, though a VAR overrule quickly silenced a boisterous home crowd.
Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo was forced off midway through the half, before both Lee Jae-sung and Hanche-Olsen had two more goals chalked off for the hosts.
In the 34th minute, though, Nebel finally slammed home his 10th goal of the season to give Mainz a deserved lead, while Amiri ought to have done much better when one-on-one against Lukas Hradecky in stoppage time as the beleaguered Leverkusen defence retreated to the dressing room relieved to only be trailing by one.
Two changes at the break from the visitors had the desired effect as they needed just two minutes after half time to bring themselves back into contention.
Hanche-Olsen pulled down Patrik Schick in the box, and the Czech striker then scored with the visitors’ first shot on target from the subsequent penalty.
And with Mainz at sixes and sevens, Schick sent a towering header home five minutes later to put his side ahead while taking his personal goal tally for the Bundesliga season to 21.
Mainz regrouped, and on the hour mark Lee’s determination to get to the ball earned them a penalty of their own when he was felled by Arthur, and Burkardt squeezed the spot-kick home to send the home support delirious.
Amiri continued to work the openings for Mainz with Burkardt setting a captain’s example from his forward position.
With 15 minutes left the game had swung back in their favour, and Amiri was unlucky with a late low drive which went agonisingly wide.
In stoppage time, Stefan Bell slammed home what looked to be the winner, but a contentious handball saw a fourth goal ruled out for the hosts.
Ultimately, Leverkusen weren’t able to give Alonso the perfect send off, but the result doesn’t alter their final second position in the table.
Mainz, on the other hand, claimed their spot in the Conference League at the expense of RB Leipzig despite not winning on the final day or in seven of their previous eight games.