Mainz 05 pulled further clear of the relegation zone by recording a 5-0 triumph over SC Paderborn on the first weekend of Bundesliga action in 2015.
Paderborn's misery started in just the sixth minute as Pablo De Blasis evaded a couple of challenges before picking out Yunus Malli, who found enough space in the box to fire his effort into the bottom corner.
The visitors responded well to the early setback and matched Mainz for most of the first half, but they missed their best chance to draw level when Lukas Rupp rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike.
Mainz capitalised less than a minute after the break when De Blasis displayed his awareness on the edge of the box once again to slide a pass into the path of Malli, and the result was familiar as Lukas Kruse watched another shot fly past his hands.
Paderborn put the pressure on the Mainz defence once again on the hour mark, but another opportunity passed the visitors by when Patrick Ziegler headed wide from a corner.
Mainz's clinical edge proved to be too much for Paderborn as Malli turned provider to set up De Blasis, who rounded off an impressive personal display by curling home from the edge of the box.
The introduction of Sami Allagui did nothing to relieve the pressure on the away side as the Tunisian forward found space to steer a header home from a free kick.
Allagui then won his side a penalty by going down under a clumsy challenge from Ziegler, and Johannes Geis accepted the gift with a calmly-taken penalty.
A run into the box from Jens Wemmer looked set to hand Paderborn a consolation late on, but Loris Karius reacted superbly to get a strong hand to his low strike as Mainz finished a fine afternoon's work by holding onto a clean sheet.
Callum Mulvihill
