Strasbourg got off to a very poor start in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final. On Thursday, Racing lost 2-0 away to Mainz and will now need to pull off a major upset in the return leg, on April 16 at 21 p.m. at the Meinau Stadium, to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals.
A complicated start to the match
The Alsatian club endured a particularly difficult first half. Urged on by their home crowd, Mainz imposed a high tempo from the outset and quickly established a lead. Kaishu Sano opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a long-range strike after winning the ball high up the pitch, before Stefan Posch doubled the advantage in the 19th minute with a spectacular volley from a corner. Strasbourg, who had been unbeaten in this edition of the competition until then, seemed rattled by the German intensity.
The scoreline could have been even worse at halftime. The Germans continued to press, win their duels, and create danger, while Strasbourg struggled to play the ball out cleanly. After the break, Mainz had several more chances, but goalkeeper Mike Penders kept Racing in the game, notably against Phillip Tietz. Strasbourg rallied in the final third of the match, and Valentín Barco hit the crossbar in the 74th minute, but it wasn't enough to truly reignite the contest.
This defeat now puts Strasbourg in a precarious position. Trailing by two goals before the second leg, the Alsatian club is not yet eliminated, but qualification seems unlikely. Strasbourg must win by three goals at the Meinau to reach the semi-finals.
