Hong Hyun-seok almost scored his first offensive point since joining Mainz, but unfortunately, the record was corrected and the next opportunity was promised.안전놀이터

Mainz won 3-2 in the fourth round of the Bundesliga in the 2024-25 season at the WWK Arena in Augsburg, Germany, on the 21st (Korea time). Mainz ran the formation based on three-back, and Hong Hyun-seok started as a second-line attacking midfielder and ran on the pitch for 63 minutes.

Mainz took the lead in the 13th minute with Armindo Jeep's first header. Jeep scored when a cross from the left side was deflected off the defender's foot. Two minutes later, Jonatan Burkart headed in for a 2-0 lead after a cross from Mbene.

Augsburg did not back down easily either. In the 25th minute of the first half, Keven Schlotterbek scored a chasing goal in a free kick by Cristian Yakic to narrow the gap to one goal. Worse yet, in the 35th minute of the first half, Nadhim Amiri was sent off due to accumulated warnings, putting Mainz in a numerical inferiority complex.

However, in the fourth minute of the second half, Mainz widened the gap again with an additional goal. Burkart finished with his right foot on Eimen Barkok's cross on the left side and scored multiple goals. In this scene, the ball hit Hong Hyun-suk in the head and appeared to be connected to Burkart, but after the match, the Bundesliga Secretariat corrected the record with Barkok's help, and Hong's first offensive point was postponed to the next opportunity.

In the 12th minute of the second half, Samuel Essende received a cross from Janulis and scored with a header shot, putting pressure on Mainz once again. However, in the 18th minute of the second half, Hong Hyun-seok was replaced by center back Maxim Leich, and Mainz strengthened his defense, and then Augsburg's Essende was sent off, and the two teams continued to play the same number again.

In the extra time of the second half, Augsburg seemed to have a chance to equalize by winning a penalty, but the VAR canceled the penalty decision and the game ended with Mainz's victory. With this victory, Mainz recorded his first win in four league games and jumped to 10th place in the league with four points (1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses).

Hong contributed to his team's victory by scoring one opportunity, one shot and one recovery. Although his first offensive point was postponed to the next, he has solidified his position as a key player in the team as he has started three consecutive games.

Hong moved to Mainz from KAA Hent in Belgium through this summer's transfer window. He entered the top five European leagues and challenged himself in the Bundesliga. Hong, who signed a four-year contract for a transfer fee of 4 million euros until June 2028, became the sixth Korean Leaguer in the history of Mainz and is continuing his new challenge as the 22nd Korean player in the Bundesliga.