Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz
Borussia Dortmund are slowly closing in on Bayern Munich, as they’re the most in-form team in the Bundesliga right now. After drawing 3-3 against Eintracht Frankfurt in their first game of 2026, Niko Kovac’s side has won five straight. As a result, they’re only six points behind their Der Klassiker rivals.
The Yellow Wall will be up and rocking when they host Mainz at Signal Iduna Park on Friday night. If they win this game, they’ll be only three points adrift of Die Bayern in the German top-flight standings, especially if Werder Bremen score a massive upset a day later.
Mainz have also built some serious momentum in the past few weeks, as they’re on a three-game winning streak. But the 05ers are still not out of the woods, as they’re only two points ahead of the drop zone.
Talking Points
Brandt and Guirassy spearhead Borussia Dortmund’s charge
Borussia Dortmund are becoming legitimate title contenders this season with their purple patch, grinding out one positive result after another, with Julian Brandt and Serhou Guirassy leading the way.
Brandt was the Man of the Match in their 2-1 win against VfL Wolfsburg last weekend. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder opened the scoring to give his team the lead before halftime, and Brandt repeatedly found gaps between VfL Wolfsburg’s midfield and defensive lines with his incisive passes throughout the contest.
After Konstantinos Koulierakis rose to head home Maximilian Arnold’s free-kick for the equaliser in the 52nd minute, Serhou Guirassy, with the help of Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt, and Fabio Silva, came up with a clinical finish from close range to seal the victory. Like Brandt, Guirassy has also found his form lately, notching three goals in his last two to take his tally to a team-leading nine goals this campaign.
Brandt and Guirassy will play pivotal roles in BVB’s title challenge because they are motivated to give it their all this season. Brandt is playing for his next huge payday, as his current contract expires this summer. Guirassy is also linked to an exit at Signal Iduna Park due to his release clause.
Amiri is a cool customer for Mainz
Julian Brandt and Serhou Guirassy’s opposite number is Nadiem Amiri, who has grown into an influential figure under head coach Urs Fischer. With Amiri leading the way, Mainz rose to 14th in the table – their highest position since Matchday 6.
Amiri has scored four goals in his last three appearances, including two penalties in their recent 2-0 home win against Augsburg. The 29-year-old playmaker has already scored nine penalties in all competitions, with only Kylian Mbappe having more in Europe’s Top 5 leagues.
He also leads the way for Mainz in various creative metrics, as no other teammate has recorded more assists (two), shots (39), or chances created (38). Amiri also ranks in the Top 4 for distance covered (180.8 km).
History
Borussia Dortmund won 2-0 in the reverse fixture last September at the MEWA Arena, as Daniel Svensson and Karim Adeyemi scored two goals in the first half. It also helped them that goalkeeper Robin Zentner received a red card seven minutes after the hour mark, reducing the 05ers to 10 men.
That was the first time BVB won an away game against Mainz in almost three years. But at Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in five against Mainz after a 3-0 victory in last season’s corresponding fixture.
Since appointing Urs Fischer back in December, Mainz have lost only one of their last 10 games, racking up 15 points from their last eight Bundesliga matches (1.9 points per game). By contrast, during the first 13 matchdays of the campaign, the 05ers only had six points.
Betting Tip
The Bundesliga 2026 odds have Borussia Dortmund completing a league double over Mainz on Friday evening. BVB are 1.51 favourites to claim maximum points, whereas the 05ers are huge 5.00 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.15 in the 1X2 market.
Just like in the reverse fixture, SBOTOP football fans and punters can expect their fair share of Bundesliga 2026 highlights from this weekend’s contest. Besides our recommended bet, consider adding Over 2.75 at 1.68 and Total Goal 2-3 at 2.14 to the parlay, with Over 3.00 at 1.90, Over 3.25 at 2.16, and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.62 being the bolder alternatives. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of Borussia Dortmund – the result of their last league meeting – is on offer at a tidy payout of 8.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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