Title contenders Borussia Dortmund will be looking for their fourth straight win in the league when they hit the road to face FSV Mainz.

Having secured their first league win last time out, FSV Mainz will be looking to build on it when they host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The German giants will be high on confidence thanks to their winning streak, and causing an upset against them certainly won’t be easy.

The home team are 13th on the table with just four points in as many outings. They have only managed to win one of their league outings thus far. They will be hoping to cause an upset against Dortmund, as it could help them get on a roll.

Mainz smashed FC Augsburg 4-1 in their last outing. While Augsburg dominated the ball and created more chances, the home team still secured all three points despite going down to 10-men.

The visitors are second on the points table with 10 points in their four outings. While they started the season with a disappointing draw, they have won their last three league outings.

Dortmund secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Wolfsburg last time out, and given the kind of form they have been in, the team in yellow and black will certainly be favourites to win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.

Team News & Tactics

FSV Mainz

Dominik Kohr is suspended for this fixture, having been sent off in their last outing. They do not have any fresh injury concerns, so expect a similar XI to the one that started in their previous game.

It will be the 3-4-2-1 formation, where Robin Zentner will be in goal. In the heart of the defence, Danny da Costa will start alongside Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Stefan Bell.

Silvan Widmer and Phillipp Mwene will feature as the wing-backs, providing much-needed support to the centre-backs. While they will be eager to join the attack, the duo will have a lot of defending to do against Dortmund.

In the centre of the park, Kaishu Sano will start alongside Nadiem Amiri. The duo will look to ensure Dortmund midfielders do not dominate the proceedings.

Arnaud Nordin and Paul Nebel should feature as the two attacking midfielders behind Armindo Sieb.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zentner; Da Costa, Bell, Hanche-Olsen; Widmer, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Nordin; Sieb

Borussia Dortmund

Niko Kovac remains without the services of Emre Can, Aaron Anselmino and Niklas Sule. Apart from the trio, everyone else should be available for selection.

The visitors will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Gregor Kobel will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini.

The trio will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson, who will feature as the wing-backs.

Marcel Sabitzer should partner with Felix Nmecha in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure they dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game.

Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy will be leading the line for Dortmund.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson; Adeyemi, Guirassy, Beier

Key Stats

• Mainz are heading into this fixture on the back of their first league win of the season against FC Augsburg.
• Bo Henriksen’s do not have the best of defensive records, having conceded at least a goal in all of their outings.
• Mainz have only won one home game so far this season. It was a Conference League qualifier against Rosenborg.
• Dortmund are unbeaten in the league and are heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins.
• Niko Kovac’s team have kept a clean sheet in three out of their four fixtures.

Player to Watch

Maximilian Beier

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The 22-year-old has had a decent start to the new season with two goal contributions in his three league outings. He is slowly getting used to playing in behind Serhou Guirassy and will certainly be eager to make a big impact in this fixture.

While all the limelight will be on Guirassy, Beier can certainly have a massive say on the end result of this fixture. Having had a decent debut campaign last time out with 16 goal contributions, he will be eager to build on it this time around.

Prediction

FSV Mainz 1-3 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund come into this clash as clear favourites, having built solid momentum with three straight league wins. Niko Kovac’s men have looked sharp in attack while keeping things organised at the back. Dortmund will look to control possession, dictate the tempo, and gradually wear down the hosts’ backline.

Mainz, on the other hand, will draw confidence from their big win over Augsburg, but facing Dortmund is a completely different challenge. Bo Henriksen’s men will likely sit deep and look to hit on the counter, but their defensive vulnerabilities could once again be exposed by the visitors’ fluid frontline. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the visitors.