Mainz 1-0 Cologne

Mainz boosted their hopes of European qualification with a victory over Cologne, despite playing with 10 men.

The hosts were facing an uphill struggle when Aristide Bance was sent off in the 27th minute, but Andre Schurrle netted shortly before the hour mark to hand them all three points.

Mainz move up two places into seventh in the Bundesliga, while Cologne remain 13th.

Bance had scored in Mainz's two previous games but his chances of being the hero again today evaporated with less than half an hour gone when he was sent off for elbowing Pedro Geromel in the face as he tried to evade the Cologne defender's attentions.

The hosts could nevertheless have taken the lead nine minutes later when Filip Trojan raced into the area and rounded two defenders before forcing Farid Mondragon into a good save with a close-range effort.

Cologne's best chance came a minute before the break when Milivoje Novakovic's fiercely-struck free-kick from just outside the area was well placed but caused no problems for Mainz goalkeeper Christian Wetklo.

Mainz took the lead in the 57th minute when substitute Chadli Amri, who had just come off the bench, forced his way into the area before crossing the ball to Schurrle for a low unstoppable drive past Mondragon.

The visitors had few chances to level although Lukas Podolski should have done better in the 78th minute when his effort scraped over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

They wasted an even better opportunity two minutes from time when Wetklo parried Kevin McKenna's corner but only as far as Fabrice Ehret who headed over the crossbar from close range.