Preview: Mainz 05 vs. Borussia Dortmund
Seeking to climb back into the Champions League positions, Borussia Dortmund travel to the MEWA Arena to face Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Wednesday evening.
The hosts, meanwhile, are searching for their first win since the end of October as they bid to move into the top half of the table.
After playing out a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in their final match before the World Cup break, Mainz returned to Bundesliga action with another draw by the same scoreline away against Stuttgart last weekend.
Marcus Ingvartsen converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time, scoring his fifth goal of the season to cancel out a 36th-minute opener from Serhou Guirassy, but the visitors were unable to find a winner in the second half.
Bo Svensson’s side have now extended their winless run to five matches and have subsequently slipped to 12th in the Bundesliga table, five points above the bottom three and eight points behind Wednesday’s opponents Dortmund in sixth.
Mainz are now preparing for a run of four home fixtures in their next five, but their form in front of their own fans leaves a little to be desired as they have won only one of their last eight games at the MEWA Arena, dating back to May last year.
The 05ers have also lost each of their last five home meetings with Dortmund and will be searching for their first win on home soil against them since September 2014 when they face off on Wednesday.
Dortmund, meanwhile, suffered back-to-back defeats against Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach before the World Cup break, but they returned to winning ways on Sunday with a thrilling 4-3 victory at home against Augsburg.
The visitors managed to equalise on three occasions, including their third scored by debutant David Colina in the 76th minute, but a stunning volley from Giovanni Reyna just two minutes later ultimately secured maximum points for BVB.
That victory for Edin Terzic’s side has boosted their chances of securing a Champions League place for next season as they are now only two points behind the top four, while they are seven points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich with 18 games still remaining.
While Dortmund have impressed on home soil in recent months, with Sunday’s win extending their unbeaten run at Westfalenstadion to nine matches, they have struggled to replicate their performance levels on the road as they have won only three of their last 10 away games in all competitions.
However, BVB will be confident of success at the MEWA Arena on Wednesday, as they have won six and drawn one of their last seven Bundesliga visits to Mainz, scoring at least twice on six of these occasions.
Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:
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Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form:
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Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):
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We say: Mainz 05 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Considering Mainz’s home form and Dortmund’s recent efforts on the road, a closely-fought contest could be on the cards on Wednesday.
However, BVB will be regarded as favourites and they should have enough quality in their side to edge past the 05ers and claim their 10th Bundesliga victory of the campaign.