Competition: Bundesliga
Date: 29 January 2017
Kick-off Time: 16:30 GMT
Venue: OPEL ARENA, Mainz
Borussia Dortmund travel to mid-table Mainz looking to keep up with the top three teams in the race for Champions League qualification.
Borussia will welcome the return of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the African Cup of Nations. The Gabon international scored a brace in the first meeting between these two teams, as Borussia won 2-1 at home in Dortmund. Nuri Sahin and Sven Bender are out injured for Dortmund.
After defeating Werder Bremen 2-1 at home last week, Thomas Tuchel’s squad is looking to keep piling on points before the club become involved in Champions League soccer and lose the luxury of focusing on Bundesliga only. Borussia signed American wunderkid Christian Pulisic to a contract extension until 2020, squashing some of the rumors that had Pulisic on the way to the Premier League. With the return of Aubameyang, it will be interesting to see if Tuchel starts the prized center forward and how he will shuffle his lineup in search of offensive firepower and also balance ahead of a tricky away game.
After finishing sixth last season, Mainz have been mired in Bundesliga mediocrity. The recent sale of Yunus Malli to Wolfsburg has signaled that the club is looking to capitalize on recent success by becoming a selling club and perhaps regrouping for next season’s campaign. Mainz also lacks the defensive discipline of last season, allowing 30 goals at the halfway mark, versus 42 goals for the entire 2015-16 season.
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