Dortmund grabs a welcome win over Mainz in Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP) — Maximilian Beier scored twice as Borussia Dortmund ended a two-game losing run in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Mainz on Sunday.

The victory provided Dortmund with a timely confidence boost with a trip to Barcelona coming up in the Champions League on April 9.

Karim Adeyemi set up Beier to break the deadlock in the 39th, three minutes before Emre Can headed in Nico Schlotterbeck's corner.

Robin Zentner denied Adeyemi in a one-on-one in the 71st, only for Beier to score from the corner that followed a minute later to seal the win.

It was the 22-year-old Beier's first double for Dortmund since joining from Hoffenheim before the season.

Paul Nebel pulled one back four minutes later but Dortmund did enough to see out the victory after previous defeats to Leipzig and Augsburg.

Niko Kovać’s team remains midtable — seven points behind fourth-placed Mainz in the last spot for Champions League qualification — with seven rounds remaining. A trip to Freiburg is next for Dortmund before the Champions League quarterfinals.

Andrej Ilić scored what proved to be the winner for Union Berlin to boost its survival hopes with a 2-1 win in Freiburg.

Freiburg’s loss after seven games without defeat prevented it from getting closer to the Champions League qualification places. Freiburg remained three points behind Mainz. Only the top four qualify for Europe’s top competition.

Union came from behind as it moved eight points clear of Heidenheim in the relegation playoff spot.

Lucas Höler broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Vincenzo Grifo got behind the Union defense to cross for the Freiburg forward.

But Rani Khedira replied straight away with a low shot inside the left post after Freiburg’s defense failed to deal with Christopher Trimmel’s cross.

Union remained more likely to score and Ilić duly made it 2-1 after the break with a header from Tim Skarke’s cross.

Freiburg ‘keeper Noah Atubolu – a potential future Germany goalkeeper – had to go off injured in the 58th after punching a clearance under pressure.

Union counterpart Frederik Rönnow preserved the visitors’ win by denying Grifo an equalizer.

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Dortmund's Salih Ozcan, left, and Mainz's Jonathan Burkardt challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Dortmund's Emre Can celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Dortmund's Salih Ozcan, centre left, and Mainz's Paul Nebel challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Dortmund's Emre Can, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Berlin's fans support their team during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's Ritsu Doan reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's Ritsu Doan, centre left, in action against Berlin's Rani Khedira during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

From left: Berlin's Andrej Ilic, Danilho Doekhi, Andrej Ilic and Tim Skarke celebrate after scoring their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Berlin's Benedict Hollerbach, centre left, and Freiburg's Ritsu Doan challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's Lucas Höler celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's Lucas Höler, left, in action against Berlin's Danilho Doekhi during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Berlin's Rani Khedira celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Berlin's Andrej Ilic, left, and Josip Juranovic celebrate after scoring their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg - 1. FC Union Berlin at The Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)