BERLIN — Borussia Dortmund’s captain Emre Can faced expulsion as his team experienced a disheartening sixth consecutive away defeat, falling 3-1 to Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Dortmund had not made an impressive start to the match, and Can’s early reckless tackle on Lee Jae-sung’s ankle, which involved his studs making contact, resulted in a red card just 27 minutes into the game. His dismissal was quickly followed by Nico Schlotterbeck receiving a yellow card for expressing his discontent over the decision.

Despite the setback, Lee Jae-sung managed to continue playing and scored the opening goal with a header in the 36th minute.

Lee’s involvement was significant as he then brought about a penalty with a foul on Serhou Guirassy shortly after his goal. Guirassy took advantage of the opportunity, converting from the penalty spot to level the match at 1-1.

Just before the halftime whistle, Jonathan Burkardt managed to nudge Mainz back in front. The advantage was extended early in the second half when Paul Nebel scored, bringing the score to 3-1.

This defeat continued Dortmund’s troubling trend of away losses, which also includes a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart in Bundesliga action and setbacks against Real Madrid in the Champions League as well as a loss at Wolfsburg in the German Cup.

Elsewhere, defending champions Bayer Leverkusen saw further disappointment as they could only manage a 1-1 draw against last-placed Bochum, thanks to a late equalizer from Koji Miyoshi on the occasion of veteran coach Dieter Hecking’s debut.

In another match, Jamal Musiala delivered a stunning long-range goal that secured Bayern Munich a victory at St. Pauli, which remains scoreless at home this season.

Additionally, Scottish forward Oliver Burke ended a goal drought of over a year, scoring for Werder Bremen to secure a 2-1 home win against Holstein Kiel.

Borussia Mönchengladbach was set to face Leipzig later in the evening.