German giants Borussia Dortmund will kick start their 2023/24 Bundesliga season with a home game against 1. FC Koln.
After losing out on the Bundesliga title by the smallest of margins, the Black and Yellows will be eager to put things right in the 2023/24 season. And, Borussia Dortmund will look to put the best foot forward when they square up against 1. FC Koln, who had a decent outing last season and are looking to build on it.
Dortmund were in control of the title race right until the end of the season. All they had to do was ensure they won the final league game of the season, but they ended up playing a draw against Mainz.
As a result, both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich finished level on points but because of better goal difference, the Reds took home the league title. The team in yellow and black will be eager to do better this time around and finally, bring home the title.
The home team were involved in a total of seven pre-season matches, and they ended up winning six of those. In their first official outing of the season, they ended up scoring six goals against Schott Mainz in the first round of the DFB-Pokal Cup. As a result, Dortmund will be heading into this fixture high on confidence.
The visitors had a decent outing last season as they finished 11th on the points table. In their 34 outings, they ended up collecting 42 points. While they scored 49 goals throughout the campaign, they ended up conceding 54 goals.
Despite having finished in the middle table, they were not really at their best and will be demanding an improved campaign this time out. Koln have been involved in a total of four pre-season friendlies and they have been unbeaten in all of them, winning two and playing out a draw in the other two outings.
Their first official game of the season was the first round of the DFB-Pokal, and they ended up winning 3-1 against Vfl Osnabruck. They will be heading into this tough away fixture against Dortmund high on confidence and will look for a positive result. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look and tries to predict the tactics that could be in use.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Edin Terzić will be without the services of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Julien Duranville, Thomas Meunier, Giovanni Reyna and Niklas Sule who are all out injured. Meanwhile, there are doubts over the fitness of Karim Adeyemi, Emre Can, Mateu Morey Bauza and Felix Nmecha. As a result, Terzic could be without quite a few of his regular starters.
😍 Freuen auf die #Bundesliga! pic.twitter.com/Kz2mWemEU5
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) August 17, 2023
He is expected to go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Gregor Kobel will be in goal. Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini will be the full-backs for this fixture. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence veteran Mats Hummels will pair up with Nico Schlotterbeck.
If Emre Can is declared fit for this home fixture, he will be seen in a double pivot in the centre of the park alongside former Bayern Munich star Marcel Sabitzer. Marco Reus will feature as an attacking midfielder.Donyell Malen will start out wide on the right while Julian Brandt will feature on the left flank. The duo will look to stretch the opposition’s defence and link up with the dangerous Sébastien Haller who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Can; Malen, Reus, Brandt; Haller
1. FC Koln
Steffen Baumgart has a few injury headaches of his own as the likes of Noah Katterbach, Jan Thielmann and Steffen Tigges are all set to miss the trip to Signal Iduna Park for their Bundesliga season opener.
Marking the 60th season of @Bundesliga_EN! 🔥
We've had some magical moments down the years… which one is your favourite? 👀 #Bundesliga60 pic.twitter.com/KkcSZLbjQh
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) August 17, 2023
Apart from the trio, everyone else is expected to be available for this outing. Baumgart could go ahead with the 4-1-3-2 formation for this outing. Marvin Schwäbe will be in charge of the goal and the back four will consist of Timo Hübers, Julian Chabot, Benno Schmitz and Leart Paqarada.
Schmitz and Paqarada will start out wide as the full-backs while Hubers and Chabot will be the centre-back pairing. Eric Martel will be a defensive midfielder’s role in front of the back line. He will look to shield the back four and also control the pace of the game.
Denis Huseinbasic, Mathias Olesen and Florian Kainz will be in advanced roles in the centre of the park. Olesen will feature in a more central role while Huseinbasic and Kainz will look to provide the width. In attack, Luca Waldschmidt will pair up with Davie Selke.
Probable Lineup (4-1-3-2): Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Paqarada; Martel; Huseinbasic, Olesen, Kainz; Selke, Waldschmidt
Key Stats
- 1. FC Koln have failed to score at Signal Iduna Park on 20 occasions, more than against any other team.
- Over the last two seasons, Koln have scored 32 goals from crosses and they are well clear of other teams in this aspect.
- Over the last 32 years, 1. FC Koln have only won one out of their 23 away games against Borussia Dortmund.
- Dortmund have been unbeaten in their last 15 home games and they have won 11 out of their last 12 outings.
- Despite losing out on the title, Dortmund still remain the best German team in the calendar year 2023 after taking 46 out of a possible 57 points in 19 matches.
Player to Watch
Marco Reus
Rues joined Borussia Dortmund back in 2012. The 34-year-old has been at the club for over a decade now and he is still amongst the best players in that squad. He might have voluntarily given up his captain’s armband but is still their leader and the man who will make a difference at the end of the day.
The German international struggled with injuries last season and could only feature in 31 matches. He ended up contributing towards 16 goals despite being on the pitch for just over 1800 minutes.
Injuries might have hampered his career but he is an exceptional talent who can decide matches on his own. He is fully fit to start the fixture against Koln and is expected to play a big part in the result of this fixture.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 1. FC Koln
While Dortmund failed to win the league on the final day of the 2022/23 season, they have been in sensational form in the 2023 calendar year. The team in yellow and black have hardly put a foot wrong and their pre-season form has been exceptional as well.
They have a squad full of quality and have added a few players to the mix to ensure they can challenge Bayern Munich to the league title once again. Meanwhile, 1. FC Koln have done a decent job in 2023, Steffen Baumgart has managed to get the best out of the players at his disposal.
While they will push for a win against Dortmund in this away fixture, they might not have enough in their tank. There is a big gap in the quality of both the teams, as a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
