Countdown to the Season Opener: Two new faces in the starting XI | OneFootball

Starting lineup: Two new faces in the starting XI

The lineup is in! Niko Kovac has made two changes to the starting XI, bringing in Maximilian Beier and Giannis Konstantelias in place of Ramy Bensebaini and Samuele Inacio. Otherwise, the Black and Yellows will start with the same lineup as in their most recent match, the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup against FC Bayern.

BVB Starting Lineup: Kobel – Gadou, Anton, Ryerson – Beier, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson – Karetsas, Konstantelias – Guirassy

Previews: At a Glance

Training: What Did He Win?

Our guys kick off training with two wild “exercises” that have everyone laughing—and one person ends up having to do push-ups. And if you’re looking for some goal-scoring action, you’ve come to the right place. And if you look at the thumbnail, you might already have a hunch as to who had the most fun…

Jerseys: BVB in their home kit

Borussia Dortmund will take the field in their yellow home jerseys (get yours now!) with black shorts and yellow socks. HSV will wear blue jerseys, white shorts, and black socks.

Attendance: New Announcer

It’s an integral part of the stadium experience: Between the 60th and 70th minutes of the game, the attendance figure is announced at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Almost always, that means: 81,365 fans—sold out! For many years, the announcement was presented by the city perfumery Pieper. Starting with the home game against HSV, the energy and water utility DEW21 will take on the role of presenter. To put its own stamp on this time-honored stadium tradition, DEW21 is focusing on the people who bring the stadium to life. As part of the season opener, more than 100 fans were filmed for the new format. The resulting content will be shown in the stadium starting Saturday.

Facts: Exciting details about the match

BVB’s record in the historic rivalry against HSV

There have been 117 matches between BVB (47 wins) and HSV (41), including the 1957 German Championship final (4–1), the 1963 DFB Cup final (0–3), and 104 mostly thrilling Bundesliga matchups. In their last seven meetings, BVB has earned 19 out of a possible 21 points. Thanks to this winning streak, the Borussians hold a slightly positive Bundesliga record (39-29-36). HSV has scored by far the most goals against any Bundesliga opponent (182), though only five of those came in the last seven matches.

With 41 points from 13 wins, two draws, and two losses, BVB was the league’s strongest home team last season, trailing only FC Bayern (44). HSV, by contrast, earned only 14 of its 38 points—which were more than enough to secure league survival (13th place)—on the road. Only four teams scored fewer points away from home. However, in the season’s closing stages, Hamburg secured a 2-1 away win in Frankfurt, followed by a 1-1 draw in Leverkusen.

Niko Kovac played for HSV from 1999 to 2001 (12 goals and 9 assists in 55 Bundesliga games); Alexander Meyer (born in Bad Oldesloe) came up through the HSV youth system for seven years (2005 to 2012); HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes played for BVB’s U-19 team during the 2010–11 season.

Quotes: Kovac Sets Clear Goals

Ahead of the first matchday, BVB coach Kovac laid out the basic game plan for the new season: “Defensively, we have to maintain last season’s level—that was top-notch. Not just in the Bundesliga, but across Europe as well, that was a high standard. The challenge is always to repeat that. Defensive stability must be there, but we want to improve going forward, create a lot more chances, and make sure we close out games more confidently.”

Kovac also commented on the season’s goal, saying: “We have to fend off the teams that were behind us last season, who will be pushing hard. We have to keep them at bay for now, and then we’ll see what’s possible.”

Referee: Zwayer to officiate in Dortmund

Felix Zwayer will referee the match. The 45-year-old will be assisted by Robert Kempter and Nikolai Kimmeyer as assistant referees, Felix Prigan as the fourth official, and Benjamin Brand as the VAR.

The Bundesliga opener against Hamburger SV has been sold out for weeks—but there’s still a chance to get a ticket: through the official BVB secondary market. There, ticket holders can legally list their season tickets or day tickets for resale in the BVB ticket shop if they are unable to attend in person at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. The ticket does not need to be physically transferred, as the tickets are electronically locked and then released for the new holder.

On match day, BVB will keep its fans updated across all digital channels:

Netradio

BVB Netradio provides coverage from a Black and Yellow perspective. Reporters are Nobby Dickel and Boris Rupert. The live broadcast begins 15 minutes before kickoff and is available to everyone on the homepage and in the BVB app on iPhone and Android devices.

BVB-TV

A recap of the match, the post-game press conference, and reactions from the players can be viewed on BVB-TV.