FSV Mainz 05 will be eager to end their four-match winless run when they host Nuri Sahin’s Borussia Dortmund, who have made a mixed start to the new campaign.

The home team are 13th on the points table with ten points in their nine league outings. They have only won two league outings so far and will be aiming for their third win of the Bundesliga campaign.

Their last win came at the start of October against FC St. Pauli, and they will be hoping that they can get something out of the game against fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund. The visitors have accumulated 16 points in their nine league outings. They have won five games, lost three and drawn one so far.

After a run of three consecutive defeats across competitions, the team in black and yellow have won their last two fixtures and they will be eager to add to it against Mainz. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

FSV Mainz 05

The home team will be without the services of Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Moritz Jenz. Apart from the duo, they do not have any other injury concerns heading into this fixture.

FSV Mainz 05 will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Robin Zentner will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Dominik Kohr, Stefan Bell and Maxim Leitsch. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will hope wing-backs Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene come to their rescue when they look to deal with the opposition’s wide players.

Kaishu Sano and Nadiem Amiri will start in the centre of the park. They will shield the back line and look to ensure Dortmund midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. Paul Nebel and Lee Jae-sung will feature as the two attacking midfielders, while Jonathan Burkardt will be leading the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zentner; Kohr, Bell, Leitsch; Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Lee; Burkardt

Borussia Dortmund

The visitors will be without the services of a host of players. Nuri Sahin will have to deal with the absence of Julian Ryerson, Yan Couto and Niklas Sule, Gregor Kobel, Karim Adeyemi, Giovanni Reyna, and Julien Duranville. The only positive is that Marcel Sabitzer is back available.

Borussia Dortmund will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alexander Meyer will feature between the sticks. Pascal Gross and Nico Schlotterbeck could be the full-back for this fixture, with Emre Can and Waldemar Anton featuring in the heart of the defence.

Felix Nmecha and Sabitzer will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo and dominate the possession of the ball. Julian Brandt will be the main creative force, while Maximilian Beier and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will feature on the flanks providing the much-needed width to their attacks. Serhou Guirassy will be leading the line of the away team.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meyer; Gross, Can, Anton, Schlotterbeck; Nmecha, Sabitzer; Beier, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy

Key Stats

• Borussia Dortmund have won 20 out of their last 38 games against FSV Mainz 05, who only have seven wins in those fixtures.
• The home team have been unbeaten in their last three games against the team in yellow and black.
• Mainz have been winless in their last three league games, their longest winless streak under Bo Henriksen.
• Borussia Dortmund might have won all five of their home games in the Bundesliga this season but they are winless in their away from home.
• After losing three matches in a row, Borussia Dortmund have won their last two outings in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

The 20-year-old English winger has had an impressive start in the new campaign. He has been involved in 15 games so far and has contributed towards eight goals (5 goals, 3 assists) in just over 900 minutes of first-team action. Bynoe-Gittens will be eager to add to his tally when he takes the field against Mainz.

Prediction

FSV Mainz 05 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Mainz will be eager to return to winning ways and they will push hard to secure all three points against Borussia Dortmund. But, they are not going to find things easy. The visitors have gained momentum of late and expect them to come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.