Wembley-bound Dortmund promise to go all-in on Mainz revenge mission
Borussia Dortmund want to use the remaining two games in the Bundesliga as preparation for the Champions League final and have not forgotten how Mainz cost them the title last season.
Dortmund visit Mainz on Saturday knowing they will finish at least fifth and so qualify for next term's Champions League irrespective of whether they beat Real Madrid at Wembley on June 1.
Mainz meanwhile are in the relegation play-off spot and are desperate to escape. But last season their 2-2 draw with Dortmund meant Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga instead of the Black and Yellows.
"We want to achieve something really big at the end of the season and that won't work if we shift down a gear now. We want to keep up our rhythm and keep winning games," Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told reporters on Friday.
"Mainz ruined our summer last year, they ruined our whole season,"
Last Saturday against Augsburg, Terzic made 10 changes because the game came in between their Champions League semi-finals with Paris Saint-Germain. But Dortmund still won 5-1 and will do similar at Mainz.
"Rotation not only gives us the opportunity to keep players fresh, but also to give people chances," he said. "We want to give everyone the opportunity to show themselves off and prove they can play in the final."
The Ruhr Nachrichten reported that Niclas Füllkrug, Karim Adeyemi, Marcel Sabitzer and Mats Hummels would all be rested against Mainz.
