Bayer 04 won 2-1 at home to 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Bundesliga matchday 23 to remain unbeaten in their 33rd competitive game of the season on Friday night.

Granit Xhaka put the Black-and-Reds in front early on with his first goal for the club, but the 05ers responded promptly. Robert Andrich scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 68th minute of a hard-fought contest, in which both teams were shown several yellow cards and a red card was shown to FSV.

For the visit of Mainz, Xabi Alonso made three changes to the team that started in the 2-1 win at 1. FC Heidenheim: Josip Stanisic, Piero Hincapie and Patrik Schick were replaced by Jonas Hofmann, Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou.

The latter was making his first start for Bayer 04 in this calendar year following victory in the Africa Cup of Nations with hosts Ivory Coast. It was an eventful start to the game as Xhaka put the Werkself in front in only the fourth minute with his first competitive goal for the Black-and-Reds.

However, Mainz levelled the score just four minutes later through Dominik Kohr.