Borussia Dortmund’s last game of 2023 will see them host 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Tuesday evening as part of Matchday 16 of the Bundesliga. Kick-off at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK is scheduled for 20:30 CET. 

The clash between Dortmund and Mainz will be a meeting between the sides placed fifth and 17th in the table respectively. “They are capable of playing better than currently reflected in the table. But so can we,” said BVB coach Edin Terzic, whose team haven’t won in their last three Bundesliga matches and are winless in their last five games across all competitions. “It’s about building on the last few games, which weren’t satisfactory in terms of results, but in which we still showed some good things. We want to make an improvement and end the year with a win,” said Terzic.

The coach will have to make do without Karim Adeyemi, who suffered a partial tear of his syndesmosis ligament against Paris Saint-Germain. “We hope that he will be able to train with the team again in January,” said the BVB coach. Mats Hummels returns to the squad following his red card suspension.

Jan Siewert, who coached the BVB U23s between 2017 and 2019, has been in charge of Mainz since November. He succeeded Bo Svensson, who stepped down at the beginning of November after a run of ten games without a win in all competitions, which saw the team slip to the bottom of the table and suffer a cup exit at the hands of second-tier outfit Hertha BSC. Under Siewert’s stewardship thus far, Mainz have picked up one win, three draws and two defeats. Terzic was keen to highlight their home win over Leipzig: “They showed what they are made of. They’ve refound that high level of intensity, they embrace the challenges, that’s the Mainz away. They have a lot of options, particularly in attack. They have quick, hard-working players on the wings and in the attacking half-spaces. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”

Tickets are still available for the final home game of the year, which is taking place on the 114th birthday of Borussia Dortmund. (to the online ticket shop).
Christina Reinke

BVB-TV by 1&1: the press conference before the game against Mainz