Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz: prediction, head-to-head and probable line-ups – 13 February 2026
One of the matches of the 22nd Bundesliga round will take place on Friday at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, where the local side Borussia will host Mainz. The hosts are riding an impressive winning streak and continue their pursuit of Bayern, while the visitors are striving to distance themselves from the relegation play-off zone. My bet is on a high-scoring affair in this encounter.
Match preview
Borussia Dortmund approach this clash in high spirits. In the previous round, Niko Kovač’s team secured a 2-1 away win over Wolfsburg, extending their winning run in the league to five matches. The Black and Yellows have consistently scored at least twice in each of their last seven fixtures, and in 11 recent Bundesliga games involving Dortmund, goals have been recorded in both halves – a testament to their systematic attacking power.
At home, Borussia are traditionally formidable: 12 wins in their last 15 Bundesliga matches at Signal Iduna Park and a streak of seven games in which they've opened the scoring. Defensively, Dortmund have conceded just 20 goals – only Bayern boast a better record. True, in three of the last four rounds the Bees have allowed opponents to score, but their overall game structure remains well-balanced.
Mainz under Urs Fischer have finally started to stabilize. The 2-0 victory over Augsburg marked their third straight league win – a run they hadn’t managed in nearly a year. The visitors have scored in six consecutive matches, even finding the net in a defeat during this stretch, highlighting progress in their finishing.
However, defense is still their Achilles’ heel: Mainz have conceded in 18 of 21 matches this season and have failed to win seven of their last eight away games. In four of their last five away fixtures, they've let in at least two goals. Add to that the trend of high-scoring head-to-heads – both teams have found the net in five of their last seven Bundesliga meetings – and the plot thickens.
Probable line-ups
- Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Süle, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bellingham, Nmecha, Brandt, Svensson, Ryerson, Bayer, Guirassy.
- Mainz: Batz, Posch, Kohr, Bell, Widmer, da Costa, Lee Jae-sung, Sano, Amiri, Mwumpa, Titz.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Borussia have won 12 of their last 15 Bundesliga home matches.
- Mainz have scored in six consecutive rounds, but have conceded in 18 of 21 games this season.
- In five of the last seven league meetings, both teams have scored.
Prediction
Borussia are objectively stronger in both squad quality and depth and are traditionally dominant at home. However, Mainz have improved in 2026 and regularly create chances even against high-profile opponents. Given the current form of both sides and their head-to-head stats, the most logical bet is on a high-scoring match with goals from both teams.
