Thomas Tuchel has praised his Borussia Dortmund players for returning to form with a 2-0 victory over Mainz 05 on Friday night.

Dortmund headed into the game on the back of four matches without a win, and suffered an emphatic 5-1 loss to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich before the international break.

However, goals from Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were enough to secure the points as Tuchel celebrated a win against his former side.

"That was a tough game against strong Mainz," Tuchel told reporters. "They were compact and hard-working. There were many phases in which we suffered today on the pitch, because we had to chase.

"It's been noted that the three draws, including in the Europa League, and the violent 5-1 in Munich, have dented confidence in our play. But there were also periods where we have done well and earned good opportunities.

"We had to diligently defend and force Mainz errors. I know how hard it is to win here. We know the importance of these three points and I am sure that we return a lot of confidence."

Dortmund return to action with a visit to Qabala in the Europa League on Thursday.