The Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal are back again: after five and a half weeks of pre-season, Borussia Dortmund will play their first competitive games of the 2023/24 campaign in August. Before that, there are two friendlies coming up.
Thursday 3 August (02:30 CET): BVB vs. Chelsea
The 2023 USA Tour is drawing to a close. After the matches against San Diego Loyal (6-0) and Manchester United (3-2), BVB will face Chelsea in Chicago. The most recent meeting with the Premier League club came in the Champions League last season: BVB won the first leg of the round of 16 tie 1-0 on home turf, but were then eliminated from the elite club competition following a 2-0 loss in London.
Sunday 6 August (17:00 CET): BVB vs. Ajax (season opening event)
Ajax will be the visitors to SIGNAL IDUNA PARK for BVB’s season opening event. Head coach Edin Terzic’s team therefore faces a real acid test a week before the opening competitive fixture in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. In addition to the clash with the record champions of the Netherlands, the first-team squad for the 2023/24 campaign will be presented. We have compiled the most important information for stadium visitors.
Saturday 12 August (15:30 CET): TSV Schott Mainz vs. BVB
The first competitive match of the season: BVB will be away to TSV Schott Mainz, the winner of the Landespokal Südwest, in the first main round of the DFB-Pokal. By winning the Championship Round of the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar, the Mainz outfit secured their return to the Regionalliga Südwest. After drawing third-tier TSV 1860 München (2022), SV Wehen Wiesbaden (2021), MSV Duisburg (2020), KFC Uerdingen (2019) and second-division SpVgg Greuther Fürth (2018), this will be the first time that BVB have faced a real amateur club in the first round of the DFB-Pokal since 2017.
Saturday 19 August (18:30 CET): BVB vs. 1. FC Köln
Bundesliga action will then return one week later, with BVB welcoming 1. FC Köln to SIGNAL IDUNA PARK on Matchday 1. BVB won the latest home game against the Billy Goats 6-1 in March. It will be the sixth time in a row that BVB have kicked off the season with a home game. The Black & Yellows have won all five of those previous matches – against Leverkusen (1-0), Frankfurt (5-2), Mönchengladbach (3-0), Augsburg (5-1) and Leipzig (4-1).
Saturday 26 August (15:30 CET): VfL Bochum vs. BVB
The first away game of the season will see BVB make the short trip to Bochum. It will already be the third time this year that the Black & Yellows have visited their neighbours: BVB won 2-1 in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 in February, with the league clash in the second half of the 2022/23 season then ending 1-1. The pre-sale of tickets for the match starts on Thursday.
Thursday 31 August (18:00 CET): Draw for the Champions League
The draw for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League will take place in Nyon. BVB will be in pot two. The first match of the group stages will be played on 19/20 September.
Christina Reinke