Bundesliga: BVB to Deal Mainz a Harsh Reality Check

Borussia Dortmund vs FSV Mainz 05

Borussia Dortmund are seeking for their sixth Bundesliga win of the 2021/22 season when they take on Mainz this Saturday at Signal Iduna Park.

Here at SBOTOP, we’ve listed three reasons why BVB can win the Bundesliga championship this campaign and so far they have ticked our boxes.

The young ones have been acclimating well under new manager Marco Rose despite a rocky start to the season and Erling Haaland continues to be a key contributor to their cause.

As a result, BVB are at third in the standings and a top spot is well within their reach. Borussia Dortmund have 15 points and are level with fourth-placed SC Freiburg, while standing above them are Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich who have 16 points each.

On the other hand, their visitors in Mainz are searching for a turnaround in form. The 05ers couldn’t sustain their hot start under Bo Svensson and they have fallen to ninth with 10 points.

Since they’re at home, BVB are the favoured side in the pre-match betting odds. However, their recent history against Mainz suggest that they’re going to be in for a dog fight.

Talking Points

Big lineup boost for Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji is expected to give additional boost to his team in their next Bundesliga clash — Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji listens to Marco Rose during their Champions League match against Besiktas

Marco Rose is happy to learn that some of his injured players are likely to be ready to go for this contest.

Top scorer Erling Haaland, who missed each of their last three Bundesliga matches due to a thigh injury, is upgraded to a game-time decision.

Manuel Akanji, who suffered an adductor injury while playing for Switzerland in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, was cleared to train with the team and he could start at centre-back again.

Gio Reyna also sustained a hamstring injury while on international duty with the United States last month and he hasn’t been featured since. But according to reports, the 18-year-old is fully recovered and his workload will be ramped up.

Dortmund are fresh from a win over Augsburg in the last time out despite missing Erling Haaland and Gio Reyna, thanks to goals from Julian Brandt and Raphael Guerreiro.

The arrivals of Haaland and Reyna will certainly boost their morale and firepower, which means bad news for their visitors.

After this fixture, BVB are slated to face Ajax in a group stage match in the Champions League. More than anything, Saturday should serve as a warm up for their date against the defending Eredivisie champions.

Mainz lacking the cutting edge

Bo Svensson took everyone by surprise when he guided his side to positive Bundesliga 2021 results, but the law of averages have gotten the better of them in recent weeks.

After scoring seven goals in their first five games, the 05ers suddenly lost their shooting touch in their next two, leading to back-to-back defeats at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin.

Unlike Borussia Dortmund, Mainz don’t have a strong base up front so we expect them to adopt a conservative, defencive approach for this fixture.

Their current top scorer is Marcus Ingvartsen with two goals, but they’re hopeful that their offence will improve upon the impending return of Adam Szalai – who was seen back in training one month after his arthroscopic knee surgery.

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History

Mainz and Borussia Dortmund have shared points in their two Bundesliga meetings last season which featured several goals.

The 05ers almost claimed the win at Signal Iduna Park last January when Levin Oztunali put the visitors up by one goal, only to be scuppered by Thomas Meunier’s 73rd– minute equaliser.

BVB won convincingly in their second game last May with a 3-1 scoreline courtesy of goals from Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus, and Julian Brandt.

Signal Iduna Park has been a fortress since Dortmund have won each of their last eight Bundesliga games there. Their record for the most consecutive league home victories was in 1994 at 12 matches.

Should the Yellow Wall win again this weekend, Marco Rose would become the first Dortmund coach ever to win each of his first five Bundesliga home fixtures.