Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz preview - Tuchel out to eclipse Klopp

Posted Friday, April 18, 2014 by PA

Thomas Tuchel has laughed off the parallels being drawn between him and Jurgen Klopp as he prepares to meet his predecessor on the Mainz bench again this weekend.

Klopp defined Mainz's most successful era, first as a player and then as a coach up to 2008, when he left to take over in Dortmund.

Tuchel, who took charge one year later in 2009, is set to eclipse Klopp's achievements by guiding Mainz into the Europa League for the second time in four years, and he joked about the former Mainz legend prior to Saturday's trip to the Westfalenstadion.

"I think he's a bit too cool, reserved and very analytical at times," Tuchel said at a press conference.

"I think he could come out of his shell a bit more, but he's working on it."

Both Klopp and Tuchel are renowned for their fiery temperaments and passionate behaviour on the touchline, although the pair are good friends away from the action.

That friendship will be placed on ice for 90 minutes this Saturday, though, as Mainz look for a win which would boost their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season, thanks also to their opponents.

By virtue of reaching the final of the DFB-Pokal this week, Dortmund and Bayern Munich have ensured that seventh place in the Bundesliga will be enough for a place in the Europa League.

"We believe we can beat them," Tuchel added. "We will need a strong team performance, and also for Dortmund not to be in their best form."

That could be the case with 90 minutes in the cup in Dortmund's legs, although Klopp expects his team to "bite" their opponents.

Ilkay Gundogan will miss out again, although Klopp, who recently ruled the Germany international out for the remainder of the season and the World Cup, has revised that initial assessment.

"Things are getting better for him, but they are not perfect yet," Klopp said. "He's not likely to figure again in the league, but if he does get back into full training, then we will have to rethink the World Cup.

"I didn't want to call the World Cup off for him. If he gets back into training again before the season ends, then it will be up to other people to decide on that."

Gundogan has missed practically the whole season due to a problem with a nerve in his back.