Lee Jae-sung scored his first goal of the 2024-25 Bundesliga season on Sunday, equalizing in the 27th minute during Mainz’s 2-1 home loss to Werder Bremen.
Mainz started both of their Korean midfielders, pairing new signing Hong Hyun-seok with veteran Lee Jae-sung. Hong was subbed off in the 65th minute.
The game started poorly for Mainz, who conceded a penalty in the eighth minute that Marvin Duksch converted to give Werder Bremen an early lead.
Lee Jae-sung equalized in the 27th minute with a solo goal, volleying from the edge of the box to beat Werder goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.
After halftime, Hong Hyun-seok put pressure on Werder Bremen, coming close to scoring twice within a few minutes, but Werder managed to scramble and save both attempts.
Werder Bremen went down to 10 men in the 60th minute when captain Marco Friedl received a direct red card for a foul on Jonathan Burkardt. Despite the numerical advantage, Mainz couldn’t capitalize on the situation.
Werder Bremen scored again in the 69th minute, securing a 2-1 victory. This win marked their first of the season, moving them up to eighth place, while Mainz dropped to 15th with only two points from three games.
Mainz will be back in action on Friday, facing Augsburg in the Bundesliga.