After beating SSC Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday Borussia Dortmund look to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga as well. But they are facing a tough task as their opponents on Saturday, 1. FSV Mainz 05, have been in fine form recently.

Mainz have won three of their last four games to climb to seventh place in the Bundesliga. “It’s unlikely that we will win chalk up an easy win there,” said Klopp in the build-up, adding: “Mainz 05 are a really strong side.” A side that is brimming with confidence and that is looking forward to the game against the Bundesliga runners-up. Klopp said: “Thomas Tuchel is spot on when he says, ‘The cool thing is that we can beat Dortmund, but we don’t have to.’ For us it’s more like: ‘We can beat them – and we should beat them…”

Borussia Dortmund may have won the last four meetings with Mainz, but they are still expecting a tough test from the “05ers”. “I can’t think of a single game in Mainz where we were not pushed to the limit. They are tactically aware, and they have options in the squad,” said Klopp praising Mainz. “And that is one of the greatest strength of the Bundesliga as even teams without distinctive international ambitions have a strong squad at their disposal.”

Klopp refused to reveal whether to make changes to the starting line-up. He only said: “If we talk about rotation it is because we wonder how they will play against us.”