Liverpool defender helps thrash Champions League finalists – 3 goals in 11 minutes – Liverpool FC

While playing for loan club Mainz, Sepp van den Berg helped his team to a surprise 3-0 victory over Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, as Jurgen Klopp‘s two former clubs clashed.

Despite having a strong season on a personal level, Van den Berg finds himself in a Bundesliga relegation battle with Mainz, but they took a big step towards safety on Saturday.

After Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals, Dortmund manager Edin Terzic made 10 changes for their game against Mainz.

The relegation-threatened club took full advantage of the weakened opposition, scoring three in 11 minutes to go 3-0 up in the 23rd minute.

Thanks to Van den Berg and his fellow defenders, Mainz held out for the rest of the match, keeping a clean sheet to move two points clear of Union Berlin who occupy the relegation play-off place.

In Germany, the team who finishes 16th in the Bundesliga must play a two-legged play-off against the third-placed side in the Bundesliga 2.

This season, Dusseldorf will be the team hoping to get promoted via this route and Union Berlin are currently the Bundesliga side that must play them.

On the final day, Union Berlin face Freiburg while Van den Berg’s Mainz travel to Wolfsburg. Just a point for Mainz would almost certainly guarantee their Bundesliga status for another season.

Despite being a loan player, Van den Berg will be just as fired up as his teammates for the last match, with a potential permanent transfer to Mainz being vastly more attractive if they are playing top-flight football.

Back in February, the 22-year-old centre-back told VoetbalNieuws: “As a loan player you go somewhere to play. That’s what I’m doing now. That’s what I’m most happy with.

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“If I go back to Liverpool, they may want me to stay. If I notice that a lot of playing time is not available, then I may have to make the choice to leave. For me it is really important that I play.”