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( votes)Bundesliga Match Preview
The Bundesliga resumes on Friday evening when former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel takes his Borussia Dortmund team to the Coface Arena looking to get back on track after their disappointment against Bayern Munich.
MAINZ FANS WAITING TO GIVE FORMER COACH A WARM WELCOME
It should be an emotional evening on Friday for Tuchel after spending five years at the helm in Mainz. The home fans are sure to give their former coach a warm welcome before the game but that is where the hospitality will end as the current man in charge, Martin Schmidt looks to build on his team’s improving form (the club has won four games this season which is one more than they managed in the entire first-half of the last campaign).The best online betting sites will not have the club from Rhineland-Palatinate region troubling the country’s premier sides for a European place this season, but a win against the team now under the tutelage of their former boss would be a huge morale booster going into an important run of games before the winter break.
TUCHEL LOOKING TO ARCHIVE BAYERN HUMILIATION
Borussia Dortmund headed to the Allianz Arena in Munich to face Bayern unbeaten and in a positive frame of mind before the international break; they left downbeat and humiliated after shipping five goals, leaving their title aspirations in absolute tatters. The best online betting offers now has them priced at a huge *25.00 to finish top of the pile next May but the reality is that Tuchel’s men, on the evidence of two weeks ago, are so far off the pace set by the reigning champions that its now all about cementing a top four placing for entry into next season’s Champions League (currently they are priced at *1.701 to do this)
TEAM NEWS
Schmidt will be without midfield duo Fabian Frei and Elkin Soto for the visit of Dortmund with both players carrying injuries. Mainz midfielder YunusMalli will be looking to continue his impressive goalscoring form having already netted six times this season; more than any other midfield player in the Bundesliga. Former Mainz coach Jürgen Klopp, after his high profile move to Liverpool, will be keen to monitor the progress of highly talented young goalkeeper Loris Karius with reports suggesting he could make a January bid for the shot stopper.
Tuchel will have to make do without defender Erik Durm and midfielder Nuri Sahin for the trip to his former club. There is good news surrounding in-form striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is fit to play and who is looking to break a Bundesliga record, by being the first player to score in 11 consecutive league games. The betting exchanges price him at *4.00 to open the scoring on Friday.
PROBABLE STARTING XI’S
Mainz (4-2-3-1) Karius; Brosinski, Bungert, Bell, Jara; Baumgartlinger, Latza; De Blasis, Malli, Samperio; Muto
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1) Burki; Piszczek, Papastathopoulos, Hummels, Ginter; Bender, Gundogan; Kagawa, Reus, Mikhitaryan; Aubameyang
HEAD TO HEAD
Mainz has an awful recent record against Friday’s visitors having lost seven out of their last eight. They did win the corresponding fixture last season 2-0 however, their only success during this wretched run of results. Borussia Dortmund are averaging three goals per game this season, the best betting websites price Tuchel’s men at *3.200 to win from an Asian handicap of -2.0.
*MATCH BETTING
FSV Mainz 05 6.00 Draw 4.33 Borussia Dortmund 1.50
*odds courtesy of Bet365
Steve Mitchell (@barafundler)