On November 9, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., Mainz will face Borussia Dortmund at the MEWA Arena.
Bundesliga 2024-25, tenth day
Where to watch: “Setanta Sports”
Suspensions : Rami Bensebaini (Borussia)
Injuries : Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Moritz Jentz – Niklas Süle, Julien Duranville, Karim Adeyemi
Uncertain : Gregor Kobel, Jan Kautou, Waldemar Anton, Julian Ryerson (tous de Borussia)
Mainz
Mainz secured their first win of the season on matchday four, surprising Augsburg with a 3:2 away score. In their next match, the Carnival team lost 0:2 at home to Heidenheim, but before the international break in October, they managed to secure their second consecutive away victory, scoring another three goals – a 3:0 victory against St. Pauli in Hamburg. Interestingly, in these two victories, Mainz not only scored three goals but also had the same scorers: Jonathan Burkhardt scored twice and Arminho Zib found the net.
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Mainz seeks first home win of the season against Dortmund
The victory at Millerntor remains the last for Bo Henriksen’s team. After a two-week break, the Carnival team failed to win any of their three home matches, losing to Leipzig 0:2 and Bayern Munich 0:4 (in the Cup), and only making a 1:1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Last weekend, Mainz drew without a goal away against Freiburg. The hosts had a slight advantage in the game, creating a few more chances, but the draw was a logical conclusion to the encounter.
Borussia Dortmund
The “Yellows and Blacks” have been quite inconsistent and unpredictable during the first months of the season. This can be attributed to significant injury problems that have plagued the team, a busy match schedule, and some miscalculations by head coach Nuri Sahin. However, the potential is there for the team. Additionally, we’re not sure what their priorities are, as Dortmund are performing well in the Champions League – collecting nine points after four rounds and placing themselves in the top eight in the overall standings. The Germans started with a 3:0 victory in Bruges against Club Brugge, followed by a crushing 7:1 home victory against Celtic, a 2:5 away defeat against Real Madrid, and finally in a hard-fought 1:0 victory over Sturm Graz, with Donyell Malen scoring the decisive goal in the 85th minute. They still have four matches to come, of which Dortmund can reasonably win three: the away games at Zagreb and Bologna, and the home games against FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk.
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It is worth mentioning that last week, Nuri Sahin’s team was eliminated from the German Cup after losing 0:1 away to Wolfsburg after extra time. However, a few days later, the Bees redeemed themselves in front of their fans with a 2:1 come-from-behind victory against RB Leipzig. The heroes of the match were new Dortmund striker Maximilian Beyer, who equalized and assisted Serou Guirassy. Thanks to this success, Borussia moved up the rankings slightly, joining Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg. However, it is important to note that the ‘Yellows and Blacks’ are yet to win away in the current campaign, and they have lost all their previous matches following Champions League matches – 1:5 in Stuttgart after their success in Belgium, 1:2 in Berlin after crushing Celtic, and 1:2 in Augsburg after their defeat in Madrid. They face another away challenge after their Champions League success.
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Mainz vs Borussia: Predicted team line-ups
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Mainz have two of their three main central defenders injured – Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Moritz Jentz – but everything else is ready for the upcoming match. Borussia will be without the injured Niklas Süle, Julien Duranville and Karim Adeyemi, as well as left defender Rami Bensebaini, who has accumulated yellow cards. However, the losses may not stop there, as the participation of several players is uncertain, including starting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, central defender Waldemar Anton, and full-backs Julian Ryerson and Jan Kautou.
Mainz vs Borussia: Author’s Prediction
Mainz are yet to win at home this season, while Borussia have yet to triumph away in the current campaign. However, as mentioned earlier, Nuri Sahin’s team only lost after the Champions League matches. Now, in addition to fatigue, Borussia is facing significant injury issues, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their unfortunate away trend continues. Additionally, the Carnival side have not lost to Borussia in their last three matches – with two away draws (the first of which cost Dortmund the league title at the end of May 2022) and a 3:0 home win in their last home match.
