Borussia Dortmund have been left lagging behind the top four while Mainz are in the relegation zone as the two teams take on each other in their final Bundesliga fixture of the year. Dortmund are in a run of only one win in eight games and they must be looking forward to the upcoming winter break even as their UEFA Champions League performance have caught the eye this season. The German powerhouse topped the group of death drawing their final group stage fixture with French giants Paris Saint Germain last week. Dortmund have, however, continued to drop points in the Bundesliga with their most recent result being a 1-1 stalemate with Augsburg. BVB had to come from behind as Augsburg were first to find the back of the net and Augsburg's goalkeeper made several saves to deny Dortmund the winner in the second half. 

Last year's Bundesliga runners-up now return to Signal Iduna Park, where they wrap up a hectic 2023 schedule against the club that effectively stopped them from claiming the title in May when a 2-2 draw with Mainz let Bayern Munich slip in and seal top spot on the final day. As a result, Dortmund will be motivated to stop a five-game winless streak that has seen them get knocked out from the DFB-Pokal and fall 13 points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. 

Mainz will be traveling to Dortmund at the back of an eight-game losing run following Saturday's 1-0 loss to newly promoted Heidenheim who secured a first-ever Bundesliga victory. Mainz therefore, have no wins to show from five matches since stunning RB Leipzig at the start of November. Unbeaten in five away games - all draws with only three goals conceded, Mainz have picked up one more point on the road than at home, but a worrying lack of goals continues to stop them converting draws into wins. Having scored just once in their last five fixtures, Mainz are certainly long-shots to secure their first away win since April, even if Dortmund have been below their best recently.

(Image: Opta Analyst)