Borussia Dortmund host Eintracht Frankfurt on Bundesliga opening day
Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt kick off the Bundesliga season on Saturday, 24 April at 17:30 at the Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund, who finished a disappointing fifth last season, are looking to make an immediate statement at home with a heavily refreshed squad. Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmöller openly acknowledges that an away trip to Dortmund represents a major challenge.
Dortmund invest heavily after disappointing season
Following a fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga last year, Borussia Dortmund are determined to push much higher up the table this season. The club used the transfer window to strengthen their squad considerably. Dortmund paid eighteen million euros for Serhou Guirassy, who shone at VfB Stuttgart last season, while attacker Maximilian Beier joined from TSG Hoffenheim for 28.5 million euros and defender Waldemar Anton bolstered the backline for 22.5 million euros. On the other side of the ledger, Niclas Füllkrug departed for West Ham United for 27 million euros, and club icon Marco Reus brought his time at the club to a close, moving to LA Galaxy in MLS. New head coach Nuri Şahin, who took over from the departed Edin Terzić and has described himself as a perfectionist, is hoping the new signings will make an immediate impact.
Guirassy ruled out for opening fixture
Dortmund's pre-season preparations were largely positive: the side lost just one of their four friendly matches, though that defeat — a 4-0 reverse against BG Pathum United FC — was far from flattering. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, FC Phönix Lübeck were beaten 4-1. However, there is a significant blow ahead of the opening day, as Serhou Guirassy is carrying a knee injury and will not feature against Frankfurt. Şahin is expected to set his side up in a 3-4-2-1 system with Karim Adeyemi leading the attack. In fifteen previous meetings between the two sides, Dortmund have won five times and lost just once — a 2-1 defeat in the 2020/21 season. The hosts head into the match on the back of an unbeaten run of six consecutive games against Frankfurt.
Toppmöller acknowledges challenge as Frankfurt arrive full of confidence after pre-season goal spree
Eintracht Frankfurt, who finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season, travel to Dortmund off the back of an impressive pre-season. Die Adler won five of their six friendly matches, including two remarkable scorelines of 11-0 and 12-0. Frankfurt have also already been in DFB-Pokal action, claiming a convincing 4-1 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig. Manager Dino Toppmöller expects striker Hugo Ekitiké, who scored twice against Braunschweig, to lead the attack again on Saturday in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Frankfurt coach was measured when assessing his side's prospects in the away fixture: 'We are the underdogs here. We are looking forward to starting our season and want to carry the positive energy we have right now,' said Toppmöller. 'An away game in Dortmund is a major challenge,' he added.
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Source: Sportmonks
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