Report & Highlights: Mainz & Palace play out entertaining draw

Summary:

• Richards returns for first appearance of pre-season.
• 1: Henderson forced into excellent early save from close range.
• 10: Hollerbach misses the target with the goal gaping.
• HT: Mainz 05 0-0 Palace
• 37 – GOAL: Mateta opens the scoring after good work from Sarr.
• 45: Kaden Rodney replaces Richards for the final 15 minutes.
• 55 – GOAL: Weiper equalises for Mainz, reacting quickly after another Henderson stop.
• FT: Mainz 05 1-1 Palace

Please note the highlights below cover both matches on the afternoon, including our 2-3 defeat earlier in the day.

In the first of two hour-long practice matches on Tuesday, the Eagles looked to have secured a third straight win when Mateta fired home against his former club.

But with only five minutes to play Mainz forward Nelson Weiper made forced home a rebound to ensure the first match between the two sides ended in a draw.

Playing in the new Eagle Gold strip, Palace were initially on the backfoot with Dean Henderson forced into an excellent early save from Nelson Weiper, with the game barely a minute old.

Reacting quickly to a low cross, the Eagles’ keeper stuck a boot out to divert the ball away from goal.

In the picturesque setting of the Hans-Ludwig-Stadion, albeit with heavy rain falling, it was Mainz who looked sharp early on.

After some smart defending from Chris Richards saw the Germans win a corner, Benedict Hollerbach made contact with a close range header, only to be foiled by Henderson again.

At the other end Ismaïla Sarr once again looked lively, consistently drawing defenders and winning free-kicks.

And his fellow forwards nearly created the opener 12 minutes in, Ebere Eze’s clever pass found Jean-Philippe Mateta, only for a heavy touch to send the Frenchman wide of goal and unable to find the target.

Mainz should have taken the lead minutes later, a swift counter-attack seeing Hollerbach picked out at the back post, only to blaze his effort wide.

Midway through the first half, Palace were saved by the woodwork. German midfielder Paul Nebel’s effort deflected off Richards and – with Henderson beaten – came back off the inside of the post.

Anthony Caci was next to close for the Bundesliga outfit, volleying at goal from close range, only to once again find Henderson in the way.

As Palace struggled to create clear cut chances, Nadiem Amiri was next to go close for Mainz – only to fire clean over the bar when well-placed.

Moments of quality from those in gold were evident. Eze again producing a perfect pass to find Sarr, only for the forward to be denied by some tight defending, as the teams went into half-time goalless.

But the Eagles didn’t have to wait long, taking the lead just a few minutes after the restart.

Sarr rounded Robin Zentner in the Mainz goal but was forced wide. Just as it looked as if the chance had gone, he picked out Mateta, who forced home from close range.

By finding the net against his former club, the Frenchman scored for the second successive pre-season game, after his strike against Crawley on Friday night.

From that point Palace regained a degree of control, with manager Oliver Glasner able to give Kaden Rodney some pitch time, in place of the returning Richards after he completed 45 minutes.

With just five minutes remaining of the first game, Mainz finally beat Henderson with Weiper reacting quickest, after the Palace keeper kept out a powerful initial effort.

That was how it finished, with an entirely changed Palace XI set to take to the field for the second fixture at 14:20 BST.

Palace XI: Henderson, Richards (Rodney, 45), Lerma, Jemide, Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Subs not used: Matthews (GK), Cardines, Edouard.

Mainz XI: Zentner (GK), Mwene, Sano, Nebel, Amiri (C), Bell, Hollerbach, Caci, Da Costa, Kohr, Weiper.

As It Happened