Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz
Bundesliga
Tuesday
19th December 2023
Signal Iduna Park
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the Bundesliga fixture between Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.
Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz: Preview
Borussia Dortmund form analysis
Dortmund has experienced mixed results in their recent run of Bundesliga matches. On November 11th, they suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss away to Stuttgart despite Niklas Füllkrug giving them an early lead. They bounced back impressively on November 25th by overcoming an early two-goal deficit against Borussia Mönchengladbach to eventually win 4-2, with summer signings Marco Sabitzer and Füllkrug spearheading the comeback. However, on December 3rd Dortmund failed to build on that result, only managing a 1-1 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen as Jonas Ryerson’s early goal was canceled out late.
Dortmund then hosted RB Leipzig on December 9th in a thrilling encounter but ultimately fell 3-2 despite goals from Nico Schlotterbeck and Füllkrug, undone late by Leipzig substitute Poulsen. Most recently on the 16th, Dortmund traveled to Augsburg and again struggled, needing a second half equalizer from Donyell Malen to salvage a 1-1 draw. While Füllkrug’s goal-scoring form has been excellent, Dortmund’s defensive struggles and inability to protect leads has led to recent dropped points. Addressing these concerns and gaining more consistent results will be critical as Dortmund look to keep pace near the top of the table.
Mainz form analysis
Mainz has struggled to pick up positive results in their last few Bundesliga matches. On November 26th, they managed a 1-1 away draw with Hoffenheim as Marcus Richter gave them a 39th minute lead before seeing it slip away shortly after halftime. Mainz then hosted high-flying Freiburg on December 3rd but suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat, conceding late to Michael Gregoritsch. They next faced FC Köln away on December 10th hoping to bounce back, but instead played to a drab goalless draw.
Most recently on December 16th against surprise package Heidenheim, Mainz suffered another 1-0 home loss after conceding early to Moussa Pieringer’s 12th minute strike. Over this four match winless run, Mainz has scored only one goal while struggling defensively at times as well. Earlier in the season Mainz had established themselves as tough to beat. But they have recently dropped points from several winning positions. The manager will want Mainz to regain that stubborn resilience and ability to grind out low-scoring wins. Which served them so well earlier in the campaign. Creating more in attack could also help Mainz turn some of these disappointing results around.
