Mainz and Hamburg shared the spoils in last night’s 2025/26 matchday 23 curtain raiser at the MEWA Arena. The fact that the fixture featured eight bookings (and arguably should have featured more yellow cards and at least two sending offs) nevertheless left many feeling as if the football itself had been spoiled. Professionals associated with both reams traded verbal blows after the 1-1 draw.
Miro Muheim rants before the Sky microphones
Hamburger SV wingback Miro Muhiem was among the eight professionals booked in the match. The Swiss international pulled Mainz attacker Silas down to ground via a jersey tug in the 34th-minute. Replays nevertheless confirmed that Silas stud-stomped Muheim in retaliation whilst the HSV man lay on the ground. Silas absolutely should have been sent off on a second yellow. VAR did not intervene.
“I haven’t played against such a dirty team in a long time,” Muheim noted in his post-match Sky Germany interview. “He went in with his leg outstretched and hit me on the shin. That’s a clear yellow-red card. It’s crazy that the ref [match official Robin Braun] didn’t intervene. I don’t understand it. With the man advantage, more might have been possible for us.“
Merlin Polzin complains at the post match press conference
HSV head coach Merlin Polzin felt the need to draw attention to not only the scene involving Silas, but also another case in which Mainz’s Dominik Kohr absolutely should have been given a second yellow card. The man known as Dominik ‘hard’ Kohr retains the reputation as one of the Bundesliga’s roughest players of good reason. Kohr’s opponents never miss an opportunity to call the 32-year-old out on his style of play.
Kohr received a record-breaking yellow card last night. The native Pfälzer’s caution at 45+1 was his 105th Bundesliga booking. Kohr passed Steffen Effenberg to take the all-time German top flight lead. Kohr was very lucky to escape a second yellow for a hard foul on Muheim in the 53rd-minute. Again, Hamburg should have been handed the man advantage.
Polzin addressed both scenes at the presser.
“There’s no question that one or two decisions could have gone in our favor,” head coach Merlin Polzin complained at the post match press conference. “When you see the scenes, they’re clear yellow-red cards. Mainz’s substitutions [both Silas and Kohr were both taken off almost immediately after their respective lucky incidents say it all.”
Mainz strike back at Hamburg
Hamburg were also lucky in a very specific respect. Fabio Vieira’s 64th-minute equalizer should not have been allowed to stand as HSV midfielder Nicolai Remberg (replays confirmed) was standing far too close to the Mainzer wall. Mainz head coach Urs Fischer referenced the scene in his post match Sky Germany interview.
“You can see it via the [broadcast] stills,” Fischer told Sky. “He’s actually standing in our wall. That’s punishable. It would be an indirect free kick for us. But the referee made his decision and we have to accept it.“
Mainz professionals Philip Tietz and Phillipp Mwene also addressed the criticisms of their opponents. Tietz spoke on the nature of the game in his Sky interview. Mwene rejected the HSV criticisms whilst speaking to journalists in the mixed zone.
“Everyone saw how they complained to the referee about every little thing and demanded things,” Mwene said. “Of course, the opposing players also want to take advantage of every opportunity. I had the feeling that the HSV players wanted to provoke these yellow-red cards a bit.“
“Pointing the finger at anyone now is wrong,” Tietz told Sky “Today was simply an intense game. That’s part of football. It was a very intense, competitive game. That’s football and I don’t think it’s a big deal.“