Borussia Dortmund vs. Mainz 05 preview: BVB looking to maintain pressure at the top against resurgent Mainz | OneFootball

Two of the Bundesliga’s most in-form sides go head-to-head on Friday night as Borussia Dortmund aim to keep the heat on leaders Bayern Munich, while Mainz 05 arrive in buoyant mood under Urs Fischer, eager to continue their climb away from danger.

Dortmund are enjoying their strongest league campaign in seven years. With 48 points from 21 matches, they sit second in the table, six points off top spot, and carry a 14-match unbeaten run into this encounter. Five consecutive victories have made them the division’s form team.

They were forced to dig deep again last weekend. Serhou Guirassy’s 87th-minute winner secured a 2-1 triumph at Wolfsburg, the latest in a series of late interventions. In 2026 alone, BVB have salvaged or secured points late on against Frankfurt, St. Pauli and now Wolfsburg  - a testament to their resilience and belief under head coach Niko Kovač.

However, victory at the Volkswagen Arena came at a cost. Nico Schlotterbeck collected his fifth yellow card of the season and will serve a suspension, further stretching Dortmund’s defensive resources. Despite that setback, Kovač remains confident.

“I am convinced that we have enough quality to win the game.”

Mainz, meanwhile, are a side transformed under Fischer. Just one defeat in his first eight Bundesliga matches has propelled them out of the relegation zone for the first time since matchday five. Now 14th on 21 points, they sit second in the league’s form table with 12 points collected from their last five fixtures.

Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Augsburg extended their winning streak to three matches. Nadiem Amiri struck twice from the penalty spot - albeit with debate surrounding the first decision - to move to nine league goals for the season and underline his importance to their new found form.

Fischer is choosing to remain cautious despite the upturn in fortunes:

“Our confidence has returned due to our recent results. There’s a mental shift that occurs when you start to believe in, rather than doubt, yourself. However, we haven’t achieved anything yet and need to continue to improve from week to week.” 

Dortmund won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the Mewa Arena on matchday five, courtesy of goals from Daniel Svensson and Karim Adeyemi. Historically, Kovač has enjoyed this match-up, losing just once in 14 career meetings with Mainz. His personal head-to-head record with Fischer is finely balanced, with two wins each from five encounters.

Friday presents Mainz with one of their sternest examinations yet, as Dortmund remain unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga this season.

Team news

Borussia Dortmund: Emre Can and Filippo Mané remain sidelined through injury, while Nico Schlotterbeck is suspended. Karim Adeyemi, Yan Couto and Marcel Sabitzer are expected to return to the squad.

Mainz 05: Benedict Hollerbach, Sota Kawasaki, Robin Zentner, Anthony Caci and Lennard Maloney are unavailable for Urs Fischer’s side. 

Predicted lineups

Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1): Kobel (GK) - Süle, Anton, Bensebaini - Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Svensson - Beier, Brandt - Guirassy 

Mainz 05 (3-5-2): Batz (GK) - Posch, Bell, Kohr - da Costa, J-S Lee, Sano, Amiri, Widmer - Silas, Tietz