A lightning start and a first-half winner from Dominik Kohr saw Bundesliga strugglers Mainz 05 continue their recent revival with a 2-1 away win at Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Having spent much of the season in the relegation zone, Mainz have won four of their last seven games under new boss Bo Svensson, and now sit two points clear of the bottom three.

"It's a great way to go into the international break and a good finish to what has been a great run for us in recent weeks," Mainz sporting director Martin Schmidt told broadcaster DAZN.

Mainz took the lead after just 26 seconds, as Robert Glatzel stole possession from hesitant Hoffenheim defender Chris Richards and slotted neatly past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Richards' error set the tone for a miserable defensive first-half performance from Hoffenheim, who nonetheless equalised through Ihlas Bebou on 39 minutes.

Yet their relief was shortlived as another mistake at the back allowed Kohr to restore Mainz's lead with a free header in the box two minutes later.

"We didn't take the fight to them today, and they did that right from the beginning," Bebou told DAZN.

While Hoffenheim remain mired in mid-table, Mainz now sit outside the bottom three for the first time in 2021.