Prediction: Mainz vs Dortmund

Verdict: Dortmund over 1.75 goals

 Best odds: 2.42

Bookmaker: ZetBet

With two games remaining until the season ends, Mainz takes on Dortmund as the home team is in danger of relegation. The local squad will require the full backing of the roughly 30,000 spectators who are anticipated to attend the game on Saturday night at Mewa Arena.

Dortmund will relish exacting retribution, even if the visitors wrapped up their domestic business and are focused only on the Champions League final in London. Dortmund will remember the 2-2 final score from the previous season-ending match against Mainz, which sent the Bundesliga trophy to Munich.

Mainz

The off-field issues at Mainz reflect the team’s present situation in the Bundesliga, which led to Jan Siewert’s dismissal after just three months in command. Even though the hosts were about to drop, hiring Bo Henriksen as head coach was a wise choice as the seasoned Danish manager rallied Mainz back to winning ways.

With two games left, the hosts maintained great prospects to finish undefeated and at least in a play-out spot. Union Berlin, Bochum, and Monchengladbach are all battling for survival against the possibility of having to participate in a challenging playout.

However, the last three Bundesliga outcomes were disappointing, even though Mainz under Bo Henriksen showed remarkable improvement with their strong performance in the previous round, which resulted in a seven-game undefeated streak. Still, Mainz failed to win against opponents who were easier to beat, such as Heidenheim, Koln, and Freiburg.

The 05ers, who have only lost six of their 16 games played, showed to be a formidable foe at Mewa Arena, and they will try to build on this success outside of the Dortmund match. Nevertheless, Mainz is no longer in control and depends on the results outcomes, making the Dortmund match even more important.

Additionally, the hosts will be in a better position going into the season’s final away match at Wolfsburg if they defeat Edin Terzic’s team.

Team News

Due to an infection, Stefan Bell has missed 16 games and will be out for the rest of the campaign. Karim Onisiwo, the centre forward, is unlikely to participate against Dortmund due to a broken finger sustained in the previous Bundesliga encounter.

Dortmund’s anticipated player rest may help Bo Henriksen, but the Danish manager needs his squad to score at least once to secure a victory.

Dortmund

German football has returned to its peak domestically and in Europe, as evidenced by the Bundesliga’s victory against the Premier League in the fifth Champions League qualifying position race. With Dortmund’s victory over PSG at Signal Iduna Park, Edin Terzic’s squad was guaranteed Champions League football the next term before the Bundesliga season concluded.

The BvB can now concentrate on the Champions League final after convincingly eliminating PSG, the dominant team in Ligue 1. Despite fielding a starting lineup loaded with stars up front, Luis Enrique’s team couldn’t reverse the 1-0 defeat in Germany because of Dortmund’s outstanding defensive performance, which allowed them to edge the Parisians by the same score (0-1).

Whatever Edin Terzic’s starting lineup, the hosts will aim to exact retribution for the defeat they endured the previous year, when Mainz gave it their all to keep Dortmund to a draw in the final game, sending Bayern Munich the Bundesliga title.

More importantly, the visitors want to finish the season’s last away Bundesliga game with an improved record (W8D6L2). Following the Mainz clash, Signal Iduna Park will play host to Darmstadt in front of 80,000 supporters as a perfect rehearsal before the Champions League final.

Team News

Before travelling to Mainz, Edin Terzic has no serious injury concerns. However, as the season’s most significant match is approaching, the Croatian manager will rest most players who faced PSG.

Against Mainz, it is anticipated that Marco Reus, the renowned BVB player who announced his departure at the end of the current season, will start and captain his colleagues. Several other players will likely get additional playing time.

Key factors to consider

• Mainz is undefeated in the last seven Bundesliga rounds
• The hosts are undefeated against Dortmund in the two games (D2)
• Dortmund proved once more their value by knocking out the Champions League heavyweights Atletico Madrid and PSG
• The visitors won the last three competitive games in which they conceded a single goal

Conclusion

While Edin Terzic is anticipated to rest most of his players, Dortmund has enough depth in the lineup to score two or more goals past Mainz, who are in a relegation battle. The final season-ending defeat to Mainz, which handed Bayern Munich the title, will give Dortmund players an extra impetus to wash away Dortmund fans’ sorrow.

Verdict: Dortmund over 1.75 goals

 Best odds: 2.42

Bookmaker: ZetBet