26
18:59
The game is getting a little livelier now. Mainz sometimes moves far up and increases the intensity of the pressing, which creates counter space for Borussia, which they have not been able to use decisively so far.
23
18:56
Nico Schulz joins in and sends Thorgan Hazard into the box on the left. From an acute angle, the Belgian fires flat into the short corner, but cannot surprise Robin Zentner with it.
21
18:55
Tauer can’t get past the stable Pongračić in the penalty area and looks indignant for a moment, but in the end he knows himself that there can never be a penalty for that.
20
18:54
On the other hand, things get a bit interesting because Anderson Lucoqui loses the ball in his own sixteen while dribbling against Jude Bellingham. The Englishman pulls in from the right and shoots from 16 meters with his left, but is immediately blocked.
17
18:50
There was more in it! Anton Stach conquers the ball in his own half and then ignites the turbo. Above all, Axel Witsel cannot follow at all and suddenly three Mainzers approach two Dortmunders. However, Stach fails to get the ball to one of his teammates before it is straddled by Can 20 yards from the goal.
15
18:48
Fifteen minutes have passed in Mainz and we’re still waiting for the first goal to be scored. You can tell that both teams don’t fit together at all, especially in the game going forward.
12
18:46
Donyell Malen often lurks at the level of the Mainz back four and waits for the deep pass. So far, however, the Dutchman has always been either intercepted or sidelined.
10
18:43
So far, Borussia Dortmund has primarily tried to control the game and has not yet found any offensive solutions. Again and again it goes backwards, there are no brilliant ideas.
7
18:40
You don’t notice a lack of fitness or body tension in the Mainz team after the long break from competition, at least in the first few minutes. The home side are there, play with a lot of energy and throw themselves into every duel.
4
18:37
Similar picture on the other side: Dortmund’s first attack ends when Stefan Bell separates Donyell Malen from the ball just before entering the box.
3
18:36
Both teams start the game quite nervously and hardly keep a ball in their own ranks. Mainz approached the opposing goal first, but Karim Onisiwo was straddled by Emre Can on the edge of the penalty area.
1
18:32
Now the ball rolls! Both teams are in their classic colors. Mainz wears red and white, Dortmund black and yellow.
18:31
Before the game starts, there will be a minute’s silence in Mainz for the long-standing DFB President Egidius Braun, who passed away today at the age of 97.
18:28
The game will be directed by referee Sascha Stegemann, who will be supported on the sidelines by Mike Pickel and Frederick Assmuth. Florian Badstübner Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck responsible.
18:15
Marco Rose expects a complicated task for his team. “Everyone knows Mainz’s strength at home, the quality of this team, how they define themselves. Good organization, intensive pressing, excellent switching, physique plus football. That’s the task ahead,” the guest coach looked ahead to a difficult game. “If we fight back and play well, we have a chance of a positive result and three more points,” believes Rose, who doesn’t just look at Bayern in the table: “We want to increase the gap down and decrease upwards.”
18:12
Of course, preparing for this game was difficult for the home side. Only yesterday the last players from the quarantine were released. “However, the level of fitness varies greatly among the boys,” Bo Svensson observed. Nevertheless, the hosts want to counteract this today. “Optimal preparation looks different. But we enjoyed the game and used the time together to prepare as well as possible,” said Svensson and promised: “We will definitely have a competitive team.”
17:56
After beating Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 at the weekend, Borussia Dortmund now has the chance to reduce the gap to leaders Bayern Munich to four points and add some excitement to the fight for the title. For this, however, an increase in performance would have to be achieved against Mainz, who are strong at home, because BVB did not convince in the work win against Bielefeld, nor in the draws in Glasgow and Augsburg. After all, the guests can count on Erling Haaland again, who could get more minutes today than on Saturday.
17:51
The home side’s last competitive game is now more than two weeks ago. With two fewer games played than the competition, the 05ers are currently in no man’s land in the table and have neither relegation worries nor European hopes. Most recently, the Rheinhessen were able to build on their home strength. Mainz won the last five games in their own kingdom, in 2022 they are still without losing a point at home.
17:43
Borussia is also plagued by personnel concerns. Mats Hummels and Raphaël Guerreiro are not back in the squad after the Corona break and are missing, as are their defensive colleagues Manuel Akanji, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Thomas Meunier. Erling Haaland is in the squad like last time against Bielefeld, but is initially on the bench. Marco Rose sends exactly the same eleven onto the pitch as at the weekend.
17:40
Let’s take a look at the line-ups: At Mainz, this was a big secret, since it was not announced which 14 professionals had been infected with Corona in the last few weeks. Compared to 1: 3 at Union Berlin, the hosts made four changes. Anderson Lucoqui, Kevin Stöger, Niklas Tauer and Marcus Ingvartsen will start for Jae-sung Lee (not in the squad), Alexander Hack and Dominik Kohr (both suspended) and Aarón Martín (bench).
17:33
Actually, the game should have taken place ten days ago. After a massive corona outbreak with a total of 19 infections in the licensed player area of Mainz, the DFL approved a transfer application from Rheinhessen and so the 25th matchday in the upper house will only be completed today.
Hello and welcome to the Bundesliga catch-up game between FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund! At 6:30 p.m. the ball rolls in the Mewa Arena!