Facts: Beier's first BVB brace | OneFootball

The course of the match: All in all, it was a well-deserved victory for BVB (18-12 shots at goal, 3.1 to 0.7 xGoals). Mainz only got into the game significantly more after the break (then 10-8 shots at goal).

Hard-running: The Black & Yellows covered 121.2 kilometres – over three kilometres more than the visitors.

First: Nico Schlotterbeck took the corner-kicks for the first time on his 149th Bundesliga appearance – and did so with great success. Two of his five corners led to headed goals. It was the first time he had set up two goals in one match. The international defender also registered four shots at goal (only Adeyemi and Beier had as many), had the most phases of possession of any BVB player (81) and won a good 63% of his challenges. However, Schlotterbeck also picked up his fifth yellow card and must therefore serve a suspension for accumulated bookings for the first time in the Bundesliga.

Brace: Maximilian Beier scored his first brace in a BVB shirt. BVB have gone on to win all six Bundesliga matches in which he has scored.

Tactics: Borussia Dortmund started with a back three for the first time in a competitive match under Niko Kovac; this had only previously been the case once before this season (on Matchday 18 in the 2-0 defeat in Frankfurt under Nuri Sahin, also with Schlotterbeck, Can and Anton).

Header: Emre Can scored his third goal of the season. It was his first headed goal in the Bundesliga since 3 October 2020 (also from a corner, against Freiburg).

Present: Waldemar Anton won a strong 75% of his direct duels and was therefore the best tackler of the match.

Fast: Karim Adeyemi completed the most sprints of any player (39) and unselfishly set up Maximilian Beier's opening goal.

Not involved: Top scorer Serhou Guirassy was not in the squad for a competitive match for the first time since November; then too, a convincing home win (4-0 against Freiburg) was achieved in his absence.