After losing 2-0 in the first leg in Germany, Strasbourg staged a remarkable comeback on Thursday night, sweeping aside Mainz 4-0 at the Meinau Stadium to secure their place in the Conference League semi-finals. Racing have thus reached the final four of a European competition for the first time in their history.
Meinau stadium in turmoil
In a packed and raucous Meinau stadium, the Alsatians quickly imposed a suffocating rhythm, playing a high line, pressing relentlessly, and giving Mainz no breathing room. This dominance was finally rewarded in the 26th minute when Sebastian Nanasi opened the scoring, before Abdoul Ouattara sent the stadium into raptures nine minutes later. Within 35 minutes, the first-leg deficit had already been erased.
A missed penalty, then relief
Led by a superb performance from Julio Enciso, Strasbourg never relinquished their grip on the game. After Emanuel Emegha missed a penalty in the second half, Racing continued to attack relentlessly. Enciso finally gave his team the decisive lead in the 69th minute, before Emegha redeemed himself five minutes later by scoring the fourth goal of what would become a historic evening.
Mainz, despite winning the first leg 2-0, completely collapsed in the return match. The Germans managed only one shot on target, while Strasbourg displayed far superior control in both play and intensity. The visitors' frustration was evident right to the end, culminating in Nadiem Amiri's sending-off in stoppage time.
Beyond the scoreline, it's the sheer scale of the feat that has captured everyone's attention. In front of 30,631 spectators, Strasbourg turned around a quarter-final that had seemed doomed just a week earlier. With four goals in a single evening, the Alsatian club transformed into a different dimension and earned themselves a monumental clash against Rayo Vallecano in the semi-finals.
