MAINZ, Germany (AP) — Five different players scored for Mainz as it routed 10-man Cologne 5-0 to strengthen its bid for the European places in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Mainz achieved its biggest margin of victory for nearly three years and soared from 11th to third in the table.
Cologne dropped two places to ninth.
Cologne defender Luca Kilian hauled down Mainz forward Karim Onisiwo on the break to give away an 11th-minute penalty converted by Marcus Ingvartsen. Kilian soon fouled Onisiwo again to earn himself a second yellow card and his second sending-off in 10 league games this season.
Persistence paid off for Mainz in the 35th as Dominik Kohr scored at the third attempt after he and Ingvartsen each had a shot blocked.
Anton Stach added a third goal just before halftime,
Cologne avoided being punished for another blunder when goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe blasted a routine clearance straight at Onisiwo, allowing Angelo Fulgini to put the ball in the net. But a video review showed it hit Onisiwo on the arm.
Cologne fell apart late on as Aarón Martín curled in a free kick for Mainz’s fourth goal and — after another Mainz goal was disallowed for offside — Onisiwo scored to round off an impressive win.
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