Borussia Mönchengladbach score first win in nine games by downing Mainz

Borussia Mönchengladbach won for the first time in nine attempts with a 1-0 Bundesliga victory over Mainz while Schalke 04 had their central defender Naldo sent off after four minutes and lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the 89th minute.

Andreas Christensen scored the only goal of the Gladbach-Mainz game – his first of the season and the first by a defender for Borussia this season – to ease the pressure on the home coach, André Schubert.

Mainz had what seemed to be a valid goal by Pablo De Blasis ruled out late on and they ended the game with 10 men after Jean-Philippe Gbamin was shown a red card late on.

There was one of the earliest red cards in Bundesliga history in Sunday’s other game when Schalke were forced to play the best part of 87 minutes without Naldo, who was sent off for a foul on Javier Hernández as he ran in on goal.

They held firm until the 89th minute when Stefan Kiessling opened his account for the season with a winning goal for Leverkusen, who condemned Schalke to their second straight defeat and moved three points clear of their hosts.