Mainz and Hoffenheim played out a goalless draw in the opener of the sixth round in the German Bundesliga.
Both sides remain unbeaten after six games to share the second place in the standings, reports Xinhua.
Mainz Friday had to do it without Shinji Okazaki, who is the leading goal scorer with five goals, as the striker suffered a leg injury.
The absence of Mainz' top scorer was noticeable as the hosts lacked penetration to overcome Hoffenheim's well-positioned defence.
The visitors from Hoffenheim had less possession but threatened Mainz' defence more often. Anthony Modeste had the best chance for the visitors when he was one-on-one with Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius.
Mainz created their best opportunity through Filip Djuricic, who failed to overcome Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with a lob in the 36th minute.
After the break both sides started where they left off, as goal-scoring opportunities remained a rare occurrence. Roberto Firmino worked out the only chance of the second half when he headed into the side netting from sharp angle with 61 minutes into the game.
With the draw both clubs failed to oust Bayern Munich from first position of the Bundesliga standings.
