Match Review: Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz; Helpless BVB struggles to break down a stubborn defence

Third-placed Borussia Dortmund failed to make an impression at home against Mainz after the visitors took a quickfire lead and held their way to a victory.

Dortmund started the game with their new and improved line-up from recent weeks. Burki started in goal, the backline was made up of Piszczek, Sokratis, Toprak and Akanji, Reus and Gotze supported Weigl in midfield while Pulisic and Sancho complemented Philipp up top.

Before the game could find any sort of steady rhythm, Mainz managed to strike early within 4 minutes. It was an incredible play and Dortmund’s defence was caught off guard. BVB tried to mount the pressure but Mainz was up to the task. In the twelfth minute, they managed another goal in the form of an incredible cross that was finished to perfection.

Dortmund had finally woken up, and Jadon Sancho went on a mazy driblle to find Philipp in the box who made a composed finish into the back of the net. Dortmund were back into the game but it was going to take more than just a goal. Mainz were constantly finding space on the flanks and if it wasn’t for Burki, the away side would have scored a couple more.

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Mainz were absolutely dominant and controlled the ball much better than Dortmund. While BVB was resorting to the wide areas for opportunities, Mainz was carving the defense like a slab of butter over and over. Their compact shape showed that they didn’t really care about what happened on the flank and that strategy showed it’s worth when after another forty five minutes of BVB banging on Mainz’s door, the hosts had no answer.

The referee blew his whistle at the end of the second half and there wasn’t anything in the game for BVB fans. There were some spots here and there, but overall, this game suffered a lack of chances which has not been the case since Marco Reus returned to fitness.

So where did BVB fail? We don’t know. It certainly can’t be fatigue. Perhaps, the opposition coach was more prepared for what was to come and that cannot be quantified. On the pitch, however, Dortmund were clueless and their lack of preparation against a mid-table side could mean that perhaps they took victory for granted.

The noise outside the pitch has been deafening this month, with transfer rumours gaining steam like a locomotive. However, this has probably started to affect the performance of players on it. There was a lack of heart in the performance that started to look like helplessness by the second half.

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