Dortmund beat Mainz 2-0 to keep pace with Bayern

Borussia Dortmund maintained their strong early-season momentum with a 2-0 win at Mainz, sealing a fourth straight Bundesliga triumph on Saturday.

Nico Schlotterbeck (R) of Borussia Dortmund vies with Armindo Sieb of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in Mainz, Germany, Sept. 27, 2025. (Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/Xinhua)

The visitors were forced into a reshuffle when Serhou Guirassy injuried his thigh muscle during the warm-up. Julian Brandt stepped in and justified his place by setting up both goals. Mainz threatened first as Paul Nebel struck the post midway through the opening half, but Dortmund responded almost instantly. Maximilian Beier combined with Brandt, whose cut-back allowed Daniel Svensson to finish from close range.

Karim Adeyemi doubled the advantage before halftime, racing clear on a counterattack and calmly slotting home after a slick exchange with Brandt. It marked the forward's second goal in consecutive matches.

Mainz emerged from the break with renewed determination, but Dortmund's defense held firm. Andreas Hanche-Olsen forced a save from Gregor Kobel with a header, yet opportunities were limited. Any hopes of a comeback ended in the 67th minute when goalkeeper Robin Zentner was sent off for a rash challenge on Adeyemi outside the box. Replacement keeper Lasse Riess denied Brandt late on, but the visitors managed the closing stages without difficulty.

New signing Fabio Silva made his first league appearance, and Dortmund's composure at the back ensured a clean sheet. The win keeps them unbeaten and in close pursuit of leaders Bayern Munich, while Mainz remain on four points ahead of their midweek European fixture.

"It was a very convincing performance, we played an excellent away match. We have the quality to score goals up front, and right now we are doing a great job of keeping the goals against us to a minimum," said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig stayed within reach of the frontrunners as Johan Bakayoko's early strike earned a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg. Bayer Leverkusen edged newly promoted St. Pauli 2-1, while Eintracht Frankfurt delivered a thrilling 6-4 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. Heidenheim, meanwhile, extended Augsburg's struggles with a 2-1 home success that left the visitors mired near the bottom of the standings.