The win sent Leverkusen to fifth in the table, level on points with fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund, who play league leaders Bayern Munich in Saturday's final game.

Martin Terrier's strike three minutes from time had put Leverkusen 4-2 up but Mainz's Armindo Sieb scored shortly afterwards to set up a nervy ending.

Leverkusen, who have dropped seven points this season despite scoring first in each of their seven matches, eventually hung on to win a match they had dominated.

Grimaldo's spot-kick put Leverkusen in front on 11 minutes and Christian Kofane doubled the visitors' lead midway through the first half, finishing off a clever team move with a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Leverkusen gave away an easy goal on the 34th-minute mark when Loic Bade's clearance hit his own player, allowing Lee Jae-sung to score.

Just before half-time, Leverkusen pressed Mainz into an error and Jonas Hofmann, who won the penalty, found Grimaldo in the box for a tap-in. Spain defender Grimaldo now has six goals and two assists in 10 games in all competitions this season.

RB Leipzig won 2-1 at home against promoted Hamburg, with Christoph Baumgartner scoring goals for the hosts either side of a strike from Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Leipzig were thumped 6-0 in their season opener at Bayern but have now won five and drawn one to sit in second spot, two points behind the Bavarians. Leipzig are without European football this season for the first time since their debut promotion in 2016.

Elsewhere, Stuttgart won 3-0 at Wolfsburg to climb to third, with former Wolf Tiago Tomas and Germany duo Maximilian Mittelstaedt and Angelo Stiller also grabbing goals.

Cologne continued their strong form since returning to the top flight, drawing 1-1 with Augsburg at home, while Werder Bremen gave up the lead twice to draw 2-2 at Heidenheim.

C. Kofane

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