Eager to reclaim the Bundesliga title after narrowly missing out in the 2022/23 season, Borussia Dortmund is poised to make a statement as they kick off their campaign against Cologne on Saturday.

Dortmund had held a strong position heading into the final day of the previous season, but their hopes were dashed as a 2-2 draw at home against Mainz, combined with Bayern Munich’s dramatic victory in Cologne, prevented them from securing their first Bundesliga title since 2012.

Despite the departure of talisman Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid during the summer, there are no signs of a setback as indicated by their promising pre-season performance.

Edin Terzic’s squad secured victories against Manchester United and Ajax, and held Chelsea to a draw. They further demonstrated their form by comfortably defeating Schott Mainz, a fifth-tier team, in the DFB Cup first round.

Recent acquisitions Ramy Bensebaini and Marcel Sabitzer seamlessly integrated into the team, while Felix Nmecha made a strong impression alongside the new club captain Emre Can. Marco Reus made room for others, yet could potentially continue to contribute in the absence of Karim Adeyemi.
Noteworthy performers Sebastien Haller and Donyell Malen, who greatly impacted Dortmund’s performance in the latter stages of the 2022/23 season, aim to carry forward their impressive form after finding the net in the cup matches.

Cologne managed a 2-0 victory against Nantes from Ligue 1 in their last pre-season friendly, though they required extra time to advance past Bundesliga 2’s Osnabrück in the cup on Monday. The retirement of Jonas Hector marks a significant change for the team that secured an 11th-place finish last season.

Additionally, influential midfielder Ellyes Skhiri has departed for Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. To fill the void left by Hector at left-back, Leart Paqarada has been recruited from Bundesliga 2’s St. Pauli, and midfielder Florian Kainz has assumed the role of captain.

Another notable addition is Luca Waldschmidt, a seven-time Germany international forward, who is now at the disposal of head coach Steffen Baumgart. However, the availability of Dejan Ljubicic and Linton Maina remains uncertain for the opening round, while Steffen Tigges is confirmed to be sidelined. Consequently, Davie Selke is expected to lead the attacking line once again.