Borussia Dortmund – FSV Mainz 05
Mainz is currently in 3rd place in the Bundesliga, while Borussia Dortmund is in 11th place with 35 points and is finding itself in unfamiliar territory. On Sunday, there will be an explosive clash at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK: while Mainz wants to extend its own winning streak, BVB is slowly running out of time after three defeats in its last five league games. The last result was a 0-2 defeat at RB Leipzig, which further increased the tension. Nadiem Amiri is already talking about “last chance for BVB”, and indeed, after the change of coach to Niko Kovac and the ongoing discussions about the sporting management, Dortmund is under enormous pressure.
Borussia Dortmund – FSV Mainz 05 Infos
- Match location: SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Dortmund
- Date and time: 30.03.2025, 17:30
- Competition: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund Form & Record Check
There is a sense of crisis at BVB at the moment: only two wins from the last five games and the bitter league defeats against Augsburg (0:1) and, most recently, Leipzig illustrate the downward trend. The team is languishing in eleventh place in the table, with only a two-point lead over Werder Bremen. Interestingly, Dortmund were able to convince in the Champions League against Lille with a 2-1 win, but often remain harmless, especially in the first half: in the last five games, they have not scored a single goal before half-time. In addition, the defense is showing weaknesses, because in four of the last five games, the team has conceded at least one goal. Personal form and discipline problems – exemplified by Brandt, Süle and Can – are also complicating the mission of still qualifying for Europe.
In the game against Mainz, Dortmund will presumably rely on the established 4-2-3-1. Kobel remains in goal, while Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaïni and Ryerson are expected in the back four. Due to the injuries to Sabitzer and Nmecha, BVB lacks important substance in central midfield, so Groß is likely to play alongside Reyna. In attack, a line of three consisting of Brandt, Adeyemi and Beier is likely to form behind striker Guirassy. It will be particularly interesting to see how Brandt responds to the recent criticism of his inconsistent performances. Talented youngsters like Duranville and Bynoe-Gittens are also on the bench as further options for possible momentum.
FSV Mainz 05 Form & Balance Check
The opposing team, Mainz, is brimming with confidence under coach Bo Henriksen: four wins and a draw from their last five league games have lifted them to 3rd place in the table. They have recently shone away from home in Mönchengladbach (3:1), Leipzig (2:1) and Heidenheim (2:0). Even the most recent 2:2 against Freiburg despite being down a man illustrates the strong mentality – Dominik Kohr saw red just before half-time, but Mainz even fought their way back into the lead. Particularly in the eternal goal-scorer list: the young Burkardt is growing into a goal-scoring difference player and also scored against Freiburg recently. In the last five encounters, the Rhine Hessians have always scored at least two goals, with them managing to make the decisive impact in the second half in particular.
At the Rheinhessen, coach Henriksen is expected to rely on the proven 3-4-2-1. Zentner is in goal, while da Costa, Jenz and Kohr form the back three – however, Kohr could be replaced by a differently positioned player after the red suspension if he is not eligible to play in time. Caci and Mwene are likely to provide width on the flanks, while Sano and Amiri will occupy the central midfield. Amiri sets the pace, while Nebel and Lee are expected to line up behind Burkardt in the attacking midfield. This formation has been very creative recently, so we can expect the 05ers to play a variable offensive game in Dortmund too.
Borussia Dortmund – FSV Mainz 05 Head to Head & Statistics
A glance at the most recent head-to-head duels is surprising: in the last five meetings, Mainz have won twice, while BVB have only won once and there have been two draws. The matches in November 2024 and May 2024 are particularly memorable for Dortmund, when Mainz won 3-1 and 3-0 respectively. The high number of goals in the early phases is also striking: in all of the aforementioned duels, more than 1.5 goals were scored before half-time. Dortmund conceded at least one goal each time, which underlines their defensive vulnerability against the strong Rheinhessen offense. The last BVB win dates back to January 2023 (2-1) – a trend that Niko Kovac’s team is desperate to end on Sunday.
