Borussia Dortmund begin their preparations for the new season against semi-professional side Rot-Weiss Oberhausen. Here is everything you need to know, including kick-off time, team news, and what to expect from BVB's first pre-season outing.
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Dortmund's run up to the start of the 2026/27 season is well and truly underway, with most of the squad having been in pre-season training since July 14th. These first couple of weeks of pre-season training are less about any new tactics or ideas, especially given the head coach Niko Kovac was in charge last season as well, but more about building back up high-level fitness to be able to cope long-term with the rigours and strains of a full Bundesliga and European season.
However, with that being said, Dortmund do play their first game of pre-season up against the 4th tier of German football side Rot-Weiss Oberhausen tomorrow afternoon at the Stadion Niederrhein in Oberhausen.
Who Are Rot-Weiss Oberhausen?
A team based in the city of Oberhausen, just a little west of Dortmund, they currently compete in Regionalliga (4th tier) of the German footballing pyramid. They are a side who compete at the sharp end of the Western division of the 4th division, and narrowly missed out on promotion to the 3rd tier last season.
The two sides last met in 2023, again during pre-season, where the semi-professional side gave a good account of themselves but ultimately ended up losing 3-2 to the Yellow Wall. This will also be Rot-Weiss Oberhausen's opening pre-season fixture as they prepare to hopefully go one step further next season and get promoted.
Who Could Feature In The Squad For Dortmund's First Pre-Season Fixture?
The squad for this game will be a mix of established first team players and players wanting to go out and prove themselves in this pre-season in the hope of making their breakthrough into the first team. Players such as Serhou Guirassy, despite the constant speculation regarding his future is likely to feature in this game, alongside other senior players such as Jobe Bellingham, Fabio Silva and the potential outgoing Yan Couto, as they have all been pictured in training this week.
New signings Joane Gadou and Justin Lerma were also pictured in training for Dortmund and are likely to play a role in this opening pre-season friendly.
BVB players who will not play any part in this game will be the likes of Gregor Kobel and Julian Ryerson. Both made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, meaning that their holidays have only just started, so they will join up with the squad at a later date, as well as the injured duo Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck, who are still recovering from their respective injuries.
REUTERS/John SibleyWhat Should You Expect To See From this Game?
This game will be massively focused on just putting minutes into the legs of as many players as possible, so expect a high number of substitutes from Niko Kovac during this match.
Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesWhile Dortmund will of course be seeking to win the game, the result doesn't really matter, and at this point, neither does the performance from the team. The main objective will be to emerge from the game with zero injuries while ensuring that as many players as possible play some minutes.
When and Where Can You Watch?
The game will be played at 5 pm CEST and 4 pm BST and can be found on BVB-TV, which costs €1.99 (£1.69) a month.
