Played
November 24, 2012 3:30 PM WAT
Coface Arena — Mainz
Referee:‬ K. Kircher‎
Attendance:‬ 34000‎
 

Mainz - Borussia Dortmund Preview: Champions look to build on morale-boosting week

Jurgen Klopp's side have enjoyed a terrific triumph over Ajax on Wednesday night, and they will hope to add to their achievements in Europe when they return to Bundesliga action

By Alec Fenn

More On :  1. FSV Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, 1. FSV Mainz 05 vs Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund's Gotze celebrates against Furth
Getty
  PROBABLE LINEUPS

MAINZ

Wetklo
Pospech, Svensson, Noveski, Junior Diaz
Kirchoff
Baumgartlinger, Soto
Ivanschitz,
Muller, Szalai
BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Weidenfeller
Piszczek, Hummels, Subotic, Schmelzer
Kehl, Gundogan
Blaszczykowski, Gotze, Reus
Lewandowski

There is nothing quite like sealing your place in the knock-out phase of the Champions League to send you into the weekend with a spring in your step.

That is the case for Borussia Dortmund who swept Ajax aside 4-1 on Wednesday and confirmed that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

It has been a different story in the Bundesliga, however, with the reigning champions in fourth place on 22 points, nine points adrift of runaway leaders Bayern Munich heading into Saturday's game.

But their form since the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on October 10 has been encouraging and back-to-back 3-1 wins over Augsburg and Greuther Furth leave BVB in rude health.

Mainz are enjoying a positive season of their own, though, and after finishing 13th in the division last season, the hosts sit in a respectable eighth place - just five behind Jurgen Klopp's side.

The visitors will be without Lars Bender who misses out with a nose injury, while Patrick Owomoyela continues his rehabilitation from surgery on a troublesome calf problem.

Niko Bungert, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Chinedu Edu are missing for Mainz through knee, fitness and hamstring problems respectively.


  DID YOU KNOW?
  • Borussia Dortmund have emerged 2-1 victors from their last two clashes with Mainz.
  • BVB have won three and drawn two of their last five games in all competitions.
  • Robert Lewandowski (right) has scored two goals in each of his last three games.
  • Mainz's last victory over Dortmund came back in 2009 when they won 1-0 at the Coface Arena.
  • Christian Heidel's team have won four of their five home games in the Bundesliga this season, losing just once.
  • Goals have been hard to come by for Saturday's hosts, however, with just 15 scored from their 12 league games to date.
  • A Mainz victory would move the club to within just two points of Jurgen Klopp's side in the table.

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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
  • 1. FSV Mainz 05 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
    17.38 %
  • 1. FSV Mainz 05 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
    17.05 %
  • 1. FSV Mainz 05 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
    12.79 %
Head to Head
Germany - 1. Bundesliga ‎(GER1)‎ Apr 20, 2013 Borussia Dortmund 2 - 1. FSV Mainz 05 0
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Germany - 1. Bundesliga ‎(GER1)‎ Nov 24, 2012 1. FSV Mainz 05 1 - Borussia Dortmund 2
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Germany - 1. Bundesliga ‎(GER1)‎ Mar 3, 2012 Borussia Dortmund 2 - 1. FSV Mainz 05 1
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Germany - 1. Bundesliga ‎(GER1)‎ Sep 24, 2011 1. FSV Mainz 05 1 - Borussia Dortmund 2
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Club Friendlies ‎(FR)‎ Jul 19, 2011 1. FSV Mainz 05 0 - Borussia Dortmund 1
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Last Five Matches
1. FSV Mainz 05
May 18, 2013VfB Stuttgart 2 - 1. FSV Mainz 05 2GER1
May 11, 20131. FSV Mainz 05 2 - Borussia Mönchengladbach 4GER1
May 4, 2013Hannover 96 2 - 1. FSV Mainz 05 2GER1
Apr 28, 20131. FSV Mainz 05 0 - Eintracht Frankfurt 0GER1
Apr 20, 2013Borussia Dortmund 2 - 1. FSV Mainz 05 0GER1
Borussia Dortmund
May 18, 2013Borussia Dortmund 1 - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2GER1
May 11, 2013VfL Wolfsburg 3 - Borussia Dortmund 3GER1
May 4, 2013Borussia Dortmund 1 - FC Bayern München 1GER1
Apr 30, 2013Real Madrid CF 2 - Borussia Dortmund 0UCL
Apr 27, 2013Fortuna Düsseldorf 1 - Borussia Dortmund 2GER1
Odds
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Returns: Draw $37.50 Ladbrokes Sign up today with Ladbrokes and get a $20 welcome bonus!
Returns: Dortmund $16.67 Ladbrokes Sign up today with Ladbrokes and get a $20 welcome bonus!
Team News
Available Squads
29Christian WetkloGoalkeeper
2Bo SvenssonDefender
3Zdenek PospechDefender
4Nikolce NoveskiDefender
8Radoslav ZabavnikDefender
6Marco CaligiuriMidfielder
14Julian BaumgartlingerMidfielder
19Elkin SotoMidfielder
25Andreas IvanschitzMidfielder
27Nicolai MüllerMidfielder
28Adam SzalaiStriker
21Loris KariusGoalkeeper
20Junior DíazDefender
-Eugen PolanskiMidfielder
23Marcel RisseMidfielder
13Nikita RukavytsyaStriker
31Shawn ParkerStriker
17Ivan KlasnicStriker
1Roman WeidenfellerGoalkeeper
4Neven SuboticDefender
15Mats HummelsDefender
26Lukasz PiszczekDefender
29Marcel SchmelzerDefender
6Sven BenderMidfielder
8Ilkay GündoganMidfielder
10Mario GötzeMidfielder
16Jakub BlaszczykowskiMidfielder
9Robert LewandowskiStriker
11Marco ReusMidfielder
20Mitchell LangerakGoalkeeper
24Chris LöweDefender
27Felipe SantanaDefender
7Moritz LeitnerMidfielder
14Ivan PerisicMidfielder
19Kevin GroßkreutzMidfielder
23Julian SchieberStriker
Results
ALL MATCHES >>
 
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Stefan Kießling Stefan Kießling
Striker
Leverkusen 		25 4
Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski
Striker
Dortmund 		24 1
Alexander Meier Alexander Meier
Midfielder
Eintracht Frankfurt 		17 3
Vedad Ibisevic Vedad Ibisevic
Striker
VfB Stuttgart 		15 5
Mario Mandzukic Mario Mandzukic
Striker
Bayern 		15 0