BERLIN -- Mainz ensured Nuremberg's poor start to the Bundesliga continued Friday with a 2-1 win over the visiting side.
Mainz midfielder Nicolai Mueller opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when he shrugged off Marvin Plattenhardt's challenge before slotting the ball beyond Patrick Rakovsky inside the far post.
Nine minutes later, Andreas Ivanschitz sprung the offside trap before rounding the Nuremberg goalkeeper and dinking the ball into the empty net.
"We dominated in every area for 30 minutes and then we took the foot off too much," Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel said.
Nuremberg had to attack, and Hiroshi Kiyotake drew a good save from Christian Wetklo before Per Nilsson headed wide.
The visitors deservedly scored five minutes before halftime, when Nilsson met Kiyotake's free kick with a towering header, but the equalizer never came.
"Mainz took their chances without mercy and we were left chasing the game from the early setbacks," said Hanno Balitsch, whose fifth yellow card rules the Nuremberg defender out of next weekend's game, at home to Bayern Munich.
Nuremberg was three points above the relegation places after its sixth loss from eight games, and could yet slip into the danger zone with the rest of the 11th round to be played.
Mainz was provisionally fifth after its fifth consecutive win at home.
