Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FSV Mainz preview: Mid-table BVB host surprise Champions League hopefuls

Borussia Dortmund

After winning back-to-back league games for the first time this season, Dortmund lost to Augsburg and Leipzig without finding the net in both games. Niko Kovac’s side is now ten points adrift of a Champions League spot, although they could still qualify by winning this season’s edition.

Their away form was the issue in the Hinrunde, but they also started to struggle at home in 2025. From their last three games at Westfalenstadion (Signal Iduna Park), Dortmund lost to Stuttgart and Augsburg.

Before the first leg of their Champions League tie against LaLiga table-toppers Barcelona, the Black and Yellows will hope for a return to the top half of the Bundesliga standings by beating this season’s surprise packages – Mainz and Freiburg.

However, they’re winless in their last four games against the 05ers. And, it all started with one of the worst games in Dortmund’s entire history: a 2-2 draw in the 2022-23 season finale that denied them the Meisterschale.

Team News

Kovac confirmed that all his international players returned to the team healthy. Meanwhile, January signings Carney Chukwuemeka and Daniel Svensson are back in the squad after recovering from their respective injuries. Salih Özcan and Waldemar Anton are candidates to make up for the absences of Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer in Dortmund’s midfield.

Mainz 05

A 2-2 draw against Freiburg put an end to Mainz’s four-game winning streak, but they still sit third in the table with only eight games left to play. The 2016-17 Europa League campaign is the only time the carnival city club participated in the group stage of a continental competition.

Martin Schmidt was the coach back then, and he played a big part in appointing Bo Henriksen as the sports director in the middle of the season last term. The Danish coach first avoided relegation by only losing two games in the final 13 rounds before going big this season.

A resounding 3-0 win over Dortmund was a big factor in securing survival. And, they did it again when the two teams met in Mainz on matchday 10 with a 3-1 victory. While Jonathan Burkardt takes center stage with 15 goals, their stingy defense was equally impressive as they only conceded 28 goals.

With games against Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen still in the fixture list, Mainz still have an awful lot to do to realize their dream of qualifying for the Champions League. As time is running out for Dortmund, Sunday’s test will also be a big ask for Henriksen’s boys.

Team News

Henriksen called Burkardt an “absolute machine” in his pre-match press conference as the German international returns to full fitness. Phillipp Mwene and Dominik Kohr are both suspended, while Stefan Bell has been out injured since the end of January.