Mainz vs Dortmund Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

Preview

Haydn Cunningham Oct 12, 2015 @ 11:59 am

Mainz have an identical record in the Bundesliga with 6 points from 12 both home and away. The statistics are pretty simply reading regarding the home side as they’ve beaten all the teams below them (Hannover 96, Hoffenheim, Borussia Monchengladbach and Darmstadt) and lost to the teams above them (Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Ingolstadt). If that run continues their due to lose against Dortmund who are 7 points behind leaders Munich.

Dortmund make the trip to Mainz sitting in 2^nd place but are winless in almost a month after 3 successive draws were brought to a devastating end with a 5-1 defeat to arch rivals, Bayern Munich. Prior to their last 4 winless games they had won every single game since the start of the season, a run of 12 games and scored 39 goals in the process. Their ex-manager Jurgen Klopp just recently joined Liverpool after leaving Dortmund in the summer and a number of his ex-players have been linked with joining up with him in England.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been reported as the most likely to make the switch but the Gabon international is settled in Germany and is enjoying his best season since leaving French side St.Etienne for Dortmund. Marco Reus, Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan have become household names largely due to Klopp but whether they’d leave the club remains to be seen. Klopp has been quoted as to saying he has ‘no intention’ to target any of Dortmund’s star assets but if he struggles in his opening couple of months as boss at Anfield he might have a rethink.

Mainz have beaten Dortmund 3 times in 18 attempts but those victories did come at the Coface Arena. 1 of those home victories was last season where they won 2-0 with a Shinji Okazaki strike opening the scoring but the Japanese forward left the club in the summer and he’s been a big loss for Martin Schmidt’s side. The hosts are heavily reliant upon Yunus Malli who has scored 6 times in the league this season and the 23-year old attacking midfielder looks to have a bright future in the game.

Dortmund will be without Erik Durm and Nuri Sahin for the trip to Mainz but Thomas Tuchel could spring a few changes after their dismal display in the second half against Bayern Munich after going into the interval 1-0 ahead. Mainz could name an unchanged side from the 3-2 win over Darmstadt as not many players particularly performed in a friendly against FSV Frankfurt during the international break. Fabian Frei is still missing through injury he picked up at the end of August.

Mainz

Stats: W-4 L-4 D-0

Recent Form - LWLLW

Borussia Dortmund 

Stats: W-5 L-1 D-2

Recent Form - WDDDL

Head-to-head record:

Possible Line-ups

Mainz (4-2-3-1) – Karius, Brosinski, Bungert, Bell, Jara, Latza, Baumgartlinger, De Blasis, Malli, Samperio, Muto. 

Dortmund (4-3-3) – Burki, Piszczek, Papastathopoulos, Hummels, Bender, Gundogan, Ginter, Kagawa, Reus, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang.

Injury List/Suspended Players

Mainz - Frei (inj), Soto (inj)
Borussia Dortmund – Durm (inj), Sahin (inj).

League Positions