Bundesliga title hopefuls Borussia Dortmund will aim for their fourth straight win in the league when they hit the road to face FSV Mainz 05.
Having secured their first league win last time out, FSV Mainz 05 will be looking to build on it when they host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The visitors will be high on confidence thanks to their winning streak, and causing an upset against them certainly won’t be easy.
The home team are 13th on the table with just four points in as many outings. They have only managed to win one of their league outings thus far. They will hope to cause an upset against Borussia Dortmund, as it could help them get on a roll.
Mainz smashed FC Augsburg 4-1 in their last outing. While Augsburg dominated the ball and created more chances, the home team still secured all three points despite going down to 10-men.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund are second on the points table with 10 points in their four outings. While the Black and Yellows started the season with a disappointing draw, they have won their last three league outings.
Niko Kovac’s men secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg last time out, and given the kind of form they have been in, the team in black and yellow will certainly be favourites to win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
FSV Mainz 05
Dominik Kohr is suspended for this fixture, having been sent off in their last outing. FSV Mainz 05 do not have any fresh injury concerns, so expect a similar XI to the one that started in their previous game when they take on Borussia Dortmund.
The home side will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Robin Zentner will be in goal. In the heart of the defence, Danny da Costa will start alongside Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Stefan Bell.
Silvan Widmer and Phillipp Mwene will feature as the wing-backs, providing much-needed support to the centre-backs. While they will be eager to join the attack, the duo will have a lot of defending to do against Borussia Dortmund.
As for the midfield unit, Kaishu Sano will start alongside Nadiem Amiri in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure Dortmund midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. Arnaud Nordin and Paul Nebel should feature as the two attacking midfielders behind Armindo Sieb.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zentner; Da Costa, Bell, Hanche-Olsen; Widmer, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Nordin; Sieb
Borussia Dortmund
Niko Kovac remains without the services of Emre Can, Aaron Anselmino and Niklas Sule. Apart from the trio, everyone else should be available for selection.
The visitors will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Gregor Kobel will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini. The trio will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson, who will feature as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Marcel Sabitzer should pair up with Felix Nmecha in the middle of the park. The duo will look to ensure they dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game.
Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson; Adeyemi, Guirassy, Beier
Key Stats
- FSV Mainz 05 are heading into this fixture on the back of their first league win of the season against FC Augsburg.
- Bo Henriksen’s do not have the best of defensive records, having conceded at least a goal in all of their outings.
- Mainz have only won one home game so far this season. It was a Conference League qualifier against Rosenborg.
- Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in the Bundesliga, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins.
- Niko Kovac’s team have kept a clean sheet in three out of their four fixtures.
Player to Watch
Maximilian Beier
The 22-year-old has had a decent start to the new season with two goal contributions in his three league outings. The young attacker is slowly getting used to playing in behind Serhou Guirassy, and he will certainly be eager to make a big impact in this fixture.
While all the limelight will be on Guirassy, Beier can certainly have a massive say on the end result of this fixture. Having had a decent debut campaign last time out with 16 goal contributions, he will be eager to build on it this time around.
Prediction
FSV Mainz 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund come into this clash as clear favourites, having built solid momentum with three straight league wins. Niko Kovac’s men have looked sharp in attack while keeping things organised at the back. Borussia Dortmund will look to control possession, dictate the tempo, and gradually wear down the hosts’ backline.
Mainz, on the other hand, will draw confidence from their big win over Augsburg, but facing Dortmund is a completely different challenge. Bo Henriksen’s men will likely sit deep and look to hit on the counter, but their defensive vulnerabilities could once again be exposed by the visitors’ fluid frontline. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Niko Kovac and his charges.
