Mainz vs Borussia Dortmund

MEWA Arena sets the stage for relegation-battling Mainz’s must-win Bundesliga home clash against high-flying Borussia Dortmund.

Mainz’s 15-year Bundesliga stint is in jeopardy as they come into this penultimate round of fixtures stranded in the playoff relegation place, one point adrift of safety. Mainz broke Dortmund’s hearts this time last year, denying them a long-awaited league title with a spirited 2-2 stalemate at Signal Iduna Park, where they drew 1-1 earlier this season – the same result that has decided their three consecutive games in the build-up to this contest. Those ties have extended Mainz’s unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to seven matches (W3, D4). Three successive home wins before a draw against Cologne last time out reinforce the club’s hopes of pulling off another upset, especially as they hit the road on the final day to meet Wolfsburg after not winning an away league game the whole season.

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund will probably have to settle for a fifth-placed finish even if they win here as they trail fourth-placed RB Leipzig by three points ahead of the final two rounds. However, Edin Terzic’s men have gone from strength to strength these past seven days, following a 5-1 league thrashing of Augsburg with a 1-0 win at PSG to reach their first Champions League final since 2012/13. With Champions League qualification already in the bag, courtesy of the Bundesliga gaining an additional spot in next season’s competition due to German clubs’ stunning European exploits this term, Die Borussen may not necessarily go all-out to extend the division’s second-best away point tally of 30.