Elkin Soto's first Bundesliga goal earned Mainz their fifth straight home win with a 1-0 victory over Nurnberg on Saturday afternoon.

Soto struck the winner in the 38th minute as Thomas Tuchel's team moved up to six place in the table - level on points with defending champions Wolfsburg and one ahead of Bayern Munich.

Defeat, though, left Nurnberg in 16th place and still waiting for their first win on the road this term.

Mainz had the first chance after just two minutes as Tim Hoogland sent a fine cross from the right into the area which Andreas Ivanschitz met with his head, but Nurnberg keeper Raphael Schafer produced a fine reaction save.

The visitors went close to taking the lead in the 36th minute when Albert Bunjaku latched onto Niko Bungert's poor back pass, but the Swiss striker fired off target from six yards.

And Mainz went ahead just two minutes later as Sota pounced on a poor clearance and, ter a long run onto the ball, and unleashed a fierce effort from 14 yards which deflected off Nurnberg defender Dennis Diekmeier and into the net.

Mainz had the ball in the net again two minutes before the break but Aristide Bance's effort was ruled off-side.

The hosts went close again nine minutes after the break as Andre Schurrle's free-kick from the left landed on the roof of the net.

Nurnberg continued to push forward in search of an equaliser but one was not forthcoming.

Mainz themselves had chances to kill the game off on the counter-attack in the closing stages, most notably Bance's shot two minutes into injury time which Schafer managed to push away, but in the end one goal proved enough.