Bundesliga Preview | Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz 05

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Borussia Dortmund have the chance to go within three points of Bayern Munich as they kickstart matchday 22 against Mainz 05 on Friday night. Despite both teams’ league standings, this is a match-up of the two best in-form teams in the Bundesliga right now. Will BVB put the pressure on Bayern, or will Urs Fischer pull Mainz further away from relegation? 

Borussia Dortmund

Five wins out of the last five, sometimes not the most convincing, but then again, it’s the BVB way, right? 

Credit where credit is due with Nico Kovac’s side, having only lost once this season, it’s clear that they can always find a way to win, even when not playing well. Dortmund fans would also have been relieved to see Serhou Girassay back on the scoresheet in back-to-back games, having previously gone without a Bundesliga goal in over 10 matchdays. 

What’s more, Julian Brandt played his part in last weekend’s 1-2 win away at Wolfsburg. The German has been out of sorts for some time now, but with his contract running out this summer, perhaps now he’ll prove why he’s worth his place in this BVB side. 

However, Dortmund will be aware that, despite the two sides’ position in the table, Mainz are no pushovers. Since Urs Fischer’s introduction, Mainz have looked a completely new side. From a team that couldn’t buy a win, all of a sudden, they are beating the likes of RB Leipzig and could end the season comfortably out of trouble.

Also, let’s not forget what happened on the last day of the season a few years back when all Dortmund needed to do was beat Mainz to lift the title. A fixture etched in every Bundesliga fan’s mind. 

Mainz 05 

The Urs Fischer revolution is in full swing and proving good timing with the start of Karnaval in Germany! 

The 59-year-old coach is proving to be a masterstroke from the M05 board, who must have thought they needed a miracle to survive in the Bundesliga just two months back. Who knew that their miracle would come in the form of a silver-haired Swiss? 

Last weekend, Mainz comfortably dispatched FC Augsburg 2-0, with Nadiem Amiri scoring a brace. Under Fischer, Amiri seems to have found the kind of form that saw him selected for the Germany national team last year. Elsewhere, Danny da Costa is enjoying life on the right-hand side, whilst midfielders such as Jae-Sung Lee have also contributed in front of goal in recent weeks. 

Mainz haven’t won in Dortmund since 2020, but given their recent form and results, they’ll feel more than confident that they can get something from Friday night’s game. What’s more, a win would shoot Mainz into 10th position, before a ball is kicked elsewhere in the Bundesliga this weekend. 

Team News

Borussia Dortmund 

BVB will be without captain and center-back, Nico Schlotterbeck, having picked up a fifth yellow card of the season last weekend. The suspended Schlotterbeck will most likely be replaced by a defensive partnership of Anton and Sule with Ryerson and Svensson acting a traditional fullbacks. 

Elsewhere, Marco Sabitzer could be deemed fit for this one. However, Kovac is most likely to stick with the midfield duo of Jode Bellingham and Felix Nmecha as he did last week against Wolfsburg.  

Mainz 05 

The 05ers will be without Lennard Maloney, who is missing through illness, whilst they’re still with goalkeeper Robin Zentner following a groin injury he’s carried since November. 

GGFN | Jamie Allen