A result against Borussia Dortmund is needed though, and while that seems tough Mainz are actually enjoying an eight-game unbeaten Bundesliga run at home – the division’s best home streak – and their 3-2 comeback win over Leverkusen in their last match here gave them a club-record equalling fifth Bundesliga home win in a row.
Mainz
After a spate of Covid cases Mainz finally play their first game since February 26. Before the postponements, the mid-table side had lost ground on the European spots, but with two games in hand on their European rivals and ten points behind sixth place, the slim possibility of continental football next year remains. A result against Borussia Dortmund is needed though, and while that seems tough Mainz are actually enjoying an eight-game unbeaten Bundesliga run at home – the division’s best home streak – and their 3-2 comeback win over Leverkusen in their last match here gave them a club-record equalling fifth Bundesliga home win in a row. Now boss Bo Svensson will look to go one better than former manager Thomas Tuchel, who also guided Mainz to five straight wins back in 2009.
To do so Svensson must end a four-game H2H losing run at home, but if Mainz can hold on until half-time here then they may stand a chance, as they’ve shown impressive attacking qualities during the second half recently after scoring their previous eight Bundesliga home goals after half-time.
Dortmund
Mainz will need their scoring boots strapped on tight as title-chasing Dortmund come to town, especially as the visitors must make no more mistakes as they sit seven points behind Bayern, albeit with a game in hand. Questionable results have piled pressure on manager Marco Rose, but BVB have at least scored in an impressive 35 of their 37 competitive matches this season, albeit 26 of those saw both teams score (70 per cent). That hints at action at both ends in this match, and with Dortmund’s last five away victories seeing them score at least three goals, a repeat of the last two H2Hs anywhere, which both ended 3-1 to BVB, seems possible.
Jonathan Burkardt has now failed to score in ten Bundesliga games, but Mainz’s top Bundesliga scorer did net in the reverse fixture and in Mainz’s last H2H win. Dortmund’s sought-after striker Erling Haaland made a return from injury as a second-half substitute at the weekend. The Norwegian netted a brace in the reverse fixture, one of eight games this season in which he’s scored at least twice. No side has scored more penalties than Dortmund’s seven this Bundesliga campaign.