MAINZ, Germany: Borussia Dortmund, once a serious Champions League contender, suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss to Mainz 05 on Saturday. The defeat marks their fourth consecutive away setback in the Bundesliga this season, leaving them languishing in seventh place in the table.
Fresh from an encouraging 1-0 home win over Sturm Graz earlier in the week, Dortmund’s side struggled to find their rhythm against a determined Mainz side. Their woes were compounded in the 27th minute when captain Emre Can received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle which reduced his team to ten players.
Things got worse for the visitors when Lee Jae-sung scored in the 36th minute, giving Mainz the lead. Just five minutes later, the South Korean international compounded Dortmund’s ordeal by fouling striker Serhou Guirassy in the box, leading to a penalty confidently converted by the Guinea international.
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Dortmund’s defensive frailties were exposed again when Jonathan Burkardt converted a well-placed cross in first-half injury time, further extending the hosts’ advantage.
With the start of the second half, Mainz continued to dominate, with Paul Nebel scoring a third goal in the 54th minute, sealing Dortmund’s fate.
Having lost four of their five away games this season, with a draw to show for their efforts, Dortmund find themselves on 16 points in seventh place, while Mainz sit three points behind them in ninth place.
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