Andrich bullet helps Leverkusen end away-day blues

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Moussa Diaby also scored his first goal since returning to Leverkusen last month after spells at Aston Villa and Al-Ittihad, curling a sumptuous strike of his own into the top-left corner to put the contest behind Mainz, which had rallied from 2-0 down in the first half to level at 2-2.

Carles Martinez's side, which went into the international break on the back of a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig, came racing out of the traps and went two goals up inside nine minutes.

Andrich opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, thumping a volley into the roof of the net when Mainz could only half-clear from its own box, and then Patrik Schick finished clinically after Ibrahim Maza cleverly dummied Aleix Garcia's pass through to him.

But Mainz slowly grew into the game and halved the arrears when Anthony Caci prodded home in the 33rd minute, having reacted quickest to Andrich blocking Eric Martel's header. Caci then got the hosts level four minutes before half-time, finishing across Mark Flekken after being picked out by the impressive Nadiem Amiri.

Amiri fired wide from the first shot of the second half, but Martinez's team talk clearly had the desired effect as Leverkusen restored its lead through Jarell Quansah.

Amid a scramble, the England international saw a fierce strike saved brilliantly by Alexander Schwolow, but when the ball bounced back to him, he looped a header into the far corner.

Mainz then came out of its shell in search of another fightback, but Diaby extended Leverkusen's lead further in the 65th minute as he received Afonso Moreira's pass in a central area, got the ball out of his feet, then curled out of Schwolow's reach.

Despite Mainz substitute Benedict Hollerbach popping up with a predatory finish in stoppage-time, Leverkusen would not be pegged back for a second time.