Bundesliga: Dortmund aim to recover from Bayern bashing at Mainz

Before the international break, Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga title hopes took hit a blip when they suffered a 5-1 thrashing to champions Bayern Munich, but they will look to recover against a Mainz side they have lost to just once since 2010.

A fortnight off, as internationals took centre stage, has given the Black and Yellows time to regroup for their visit to the Coface Arena, making them 2/1 with Coral to win to nil, with Mainz having kept just one clean sheet in their last eight outings and lost three of their previous five matches.

Having won seven of the last eight meetings with Mainz, Dortmund are the overwhelming odds-on 1/2 favourites to emerge victorious once again, though the hosts did secure a 2-0 home win last season and are 9/2 to cause another shock this time out.

Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded newly-appointed Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the Westfalenstadion, returns to the club which both he and the new Reds manager both were in charge of this Friday night.

Tuchel coached Mainz for six years, leading them into Europe and two occasions, including through a seventh-placed Bundesliga finish in 2013/14, but he departed after that campaign for a year out of coaching before his new role at Dortmund.

Recently, Mainz president Harald Strutz described the manner in which Tuchel left his side as “borderline” and claimed the Black and Yellows boss showed a lack of respect, despite his efforts with the club.