“He was outstanding. He went ahead and swept everyone else along. There was no stopping him,” said Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt. The start of the year had not gone particularly well for Onisiwo or his club. A 1-1 draw in Stuttgart was followed by a 1-2 draw against Dortmund – each with manageable performances. However, coach Bo Svensson continued to rely on the athletic attacker, who grew up in the lowlands of amateur football in Vienna and Salzburg.
“After the criticism, I tried to step on the gas. I did it,” said Onisiwo after his hat-trick. A toe injury had bothered him during the World Cup break. Now he’s back on top. “I hope that was the can opener. I would like to continue to perform for the team.” Mainz is in eleventh place in the table and is secured in midfield. Onisiwo is now the club’s record holder in the Bundesliga with 48 goals (29 goals and 19 assists).
First triple pack by an ÖFB legionnaire since 2012
His hat-trick was the first by an ÖFB legionnaire in the German Bundesliga in more than ten years. Marko Arnautovic scored three times in Werder Bremen’s 4-1 win against 1899 Hoffenheim in December 2012. According to “kicker”, Onisiwo, whose father, like that of David Alaba, comes from Nigeria, is only the seventh Austrian in history to have achieved the feat in the German Bundesliga.
Onisiwo, who grew up in Vienna-Favoriten next to the FavAC-Platz, moved to Mainz in January 2016 after two years at Austria Salzburg and one and a half at SV Mattersburg. The change was preceded by a contract dispute with the Mattersburgers. The striker had an on-off relationship with the ÖFB national team for years. There is one goal in 20 international matches. As long as he was fit, the 1.88 meter man was always called up by neo-team boss Ralf Rangnick last year.
Onisiwo feels comfortable “as a free spirit”.
If Onisiwo has its way, it should stay that way. At his gala against Bochum he also benefited from his new strike partner Ludovic Ajorque. The 1.97 m giant saved a lot of balls, distributed them cleverly and gave his neighbor the chance to sprint into the interfaces in a slightly different role. “I feel good when I can move freely in the rooms as a free spirit and don’t play so statically,” said Onisiwo. “I hope it continues like this.”
Because the round of 16 in the DFB Cup against Bayern Munich is already waiting on Wednesday (8.45 p.m.). “It’s going to be a completely different game,” said Onisiwo. Mainz have won their last two competitive games against the series champions in their own stadium. In addition, Bayern are still without a win after three 1-1 draws in 2023. Onisiwo still stayed grounded. You have to perform like we did against Bochum “and even more so that we have any chance of surviving”.
German Bundesliga, 18th round
Freitag:
Leipzig – Stuttgart 2: 1 (1: 0)
Tore: Szoboszlai (25., 49.) bzw. Führich (68./Elfmeter)
Leipzig: Schlager played through, Laimer from the 69th minute
Saturday:
Mainz – Bochum 5: 2 (3: 0)
Goals: Lee (1st), Widmer (17th), Onisiwo (28th, 57th, 87th) or Kunde (70th), Masovic (72nd)
Mainz: Onisiwo played through
Bochum: Stöger up to the 45th minute
Bremen – Wolfsburg 2:1 (1:0)
Goals: Füllkrug (24’/penalty, 77′) and Paredes (90′)
Bremen: Friedl played through
Wolfsburg: Wimmer until the 82nd minute, Pervan on the bench
Hertha BSC – Union Berlin 0:2 (0:1)
Tore: Doekhi (44.), Seguin (67.)
Union: Trimmel played through
Freiburg – Augsburg 3:1 (2:1)
Goals: Gregoritsch (13′), Höler (30′), Lienhart (85′) and Berisha (29’/penalty)
Freiburg: Lienhart played through, Gregoritsch until the 76th minute
Augsburg: Baumgartlinger on the bench
Hoffenheim – Mönchengladbach 1:4 (0:2)
Goals: Bebou (80′) and Hofmann (12′, 37′), Stindl (83′), Wolf (91′)
Hoffenheim: Baumgartner played through
Gladbach: Wolf from the 86th minute, Lainer from the 95th minute
Bayern Munich – Frankfurt 1: 1 (1: 0)
Tore: Sane (34.) bzw. Kolo Muani (69.)
Bayern: Sabitzer from the 90th minute, Wanner on the bench
Sunday:
Schalke – Cologne 0-0
Schalke: Greiml not in the squad
Cologne: Kainz played through, Ljubicic until the 78th minute
Leverkusen – Dortmund 0: 2 (0: 1)
Tore: Adeyemi (33.), Tapsoba (53./Eigentor)
Leverkusen: Pentz not in the squad