- © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA
- © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA

Tuchel seeks BVB pick-me-up on Mainz return

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Mainz - It will be emotional when Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel returns to the club where he made his name, 1. FSV Mainz 05, in Friday's Matchday 9 encounter at the Coface Arena (kick-off 20:30CEST/18:30GMT).

History

- © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA

Top facts

    Tuchel is Mainz's longest-serving Bundesliga coach, having been in the dugout for 170 matches between 2009 and 2014. He led them to fifth place in the 2010/11 season, their highest-ever finish.Mainz have lost seven of their last eight games against Dortmund. Their only win in that time was a 2-0 success at the Coface Arena in September 2014.After kicking off the campaign with 11 straight victories, BVB are now winless in four and suffered their first competitive defeat under Tuchel at FC Bayern München (5-1) on Matchday 8.Mainz have won four matches this season, one more than they managed in the entire first half of the 2014/15 season.Yunus Malli has six goals this term and 12 in 2015 so far, more than any other midfielder.In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, two players have reached double figures for goals after eight rounds of games for the first time in Bundesliga history.Aubameyang could break a Bundesliga record by becoming the first player to score on 11 consecutive Matchdays, a run stretching back to last season.

Possible line-ups

Mainz: Karius - Brosinski, Bungert, Bell, Jara - Baumgartlinger, Latza - Jairo, Malli, De Blasis - Muto

Dortmund: Bürki - Ginter , Sokratis, Hummels, Piszczek - Weigl, Gündogan - Reus, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan - Aubameyang