Borussia Dortmund kick off their Bundesliga campaign at a bouncing Signal Iduna Park, and the fixture computer has handed them a promoted Hamburg side still adjusting to the top flight. Niko Kovač fields a front three of Guirassy, Konstantelias and Karetsas with Jude Bellingham p…
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Sign inBorussia Dortmund begin their 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign at home to newly promoted Hamburger SV on Saturday, 29 August. The clash marks the opening round of the regular season and sees HSV return to the top flight determined to test a dramatically rebuilt Dortmund side managed by Niko Kovac.
Dortmund will be without left-back Ramy Bensebaini for the opener after his 90th‑minute red card in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich a week ago. Daniel Svensson is the natural replacement after impressing off the bench in that 2‑1 loss.
New sporting director Ole Book oversaw a summer of heavy turnover. Wingers Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt departed for Barcelona and Ajax respectively, while attack‑minded midfielders Konstantinos Karetsas (Genk), Joey Vermaan (PSV) and Giannis Konstantelias (PAOK) all arrived. Fabio Silva, who scored Dortmund’s consolation against Bayern, is pushing for a start.
No fresh injuries have been reported from the Dortmund camp, and Kovac is expected to integrate at least two of the new Greek signings from the outset.
Dortmund enter the new season off the back of a narrow Supercup reverse, but the performance offered hints of promise. Substitute Giannis Konstantelias caught the eye with a flying volley attempt, while Karetsas nearly set up Serhou Guirassy with a defence‑splitting pass.
Fabio Silva’s deflected strike halved the deficit and Maximilian Beier missed a golden late equaliser, steering Waldemar Anton’s pass over the bar from close range. The defeat stung, yet the speed and technique shown by the club’s summer additions has raised optimism ahead of the new campaign.
Hamburger SV, three times national champions and 1983 European Cup winners, are finally back in the Bundesliga after a prolonged absence. Their promotion automatically heightens the pressure on a club of HSV’s stature to prove they belong.
The visitors arrive with none of the close‑season upheaval Dortmund have endured but face a baptism of fire at the Westfalenstadion. Shutting down the host’s fluid attacking midfield trio will be the priority.
The most decisive duel may unfold between Dortmund’s Giannis Konstantelias and whatever shield Hamburg place in front of their back line. The Greek playmaker’s reverse pass for the Silva goal against Bayern showed a level of vision Dortmund have lacked recently, and HSV’s defensive midfield must deny him those pockets of space or risk being carved open early.
Karetsas and Vermaan are expected to rotate around him, creating overloads that few second‑division defences would have prepared for.
The fixture list is unrelenting for Dortmund, who travel to face a competitive opponent on matchday two. Hamburg return home with the aim of using any positive result here as a springboard for a survival push that starts in earnest the following week.
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