Prediction: Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Verdict: Dortmund win & Over 2.5 goals 

Best odds: 117/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Borussia Dortmund opens its Bundesliga title bid with a first difficult test against Eintracht Frankfurt. The game will be played at Signal Iduna Park where over 80, 000 fans are expected in the stands, despite the Summer holiday. While a heatwave crossing Europe might impair players’ output, Borussia Dortmund legend Nuri Sahin is keen to start his Bundesliga managerial career with a win.

Borussia Dortmund

Although the BvB impressed in the last two seasons by playing great quality attacking football, the hosts failed to get their hands on a trophy. While a dramatic 2023 Bundesliga finale had sent the title to Munich, Borussia Dortmund suffered another major blow by losing the last Champions League final to Real Madrid.

Yet, despite bringing the BvB back to the Champions League after benefiting from a 5th qualification spot handed to the Bundesliga by UEFA was considered an achievement, Edin Terzic resigned at the end of the season. Although Dortmund’s progress under his spell was obvious, last season’s 27-point gap towards new Bundesliga Champions, Bayer Leverkusen, made the Croatian manager step down.

However, the club’s ambition to win silverware remained intact, with the new boss credited with bringing Borussia Dortmund to a new level, after impressing as a former player and assistant coach to Edin Terzic. Despite losing legends Marco Reus and Matt Hummels, with both players departing in the summer, adding former Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirasy will significantly bolster Dortmund’s attacking power.

Since many players’ return to the squad was delayed due to the Euro 2024 final tournament, Nuri Sahin couldn’t count on important figures in the friendly games. Although losing against Thailand outfit Pathum United (4-0), raised some concerns, Dortmund ended their summer preparation with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa. Furthermore, starting their official campaign with a 4-1 win in the DFB Pokal, Borussia Dortmund is searching for the second win this term in front of Frankfurt.

Team News

While Serhou Guirassy is still recovering from a terrible knee injury, former Hoffenheim ace Maximilian Beyer could be handed his first start. Furthermore, playing in front of their fans, Nuri Sahin is expected to line up an attacking formation to secure the first Bundesliga win as a manager.

Eintracht Frankfurt

A regular presence in the European competitions in the last seasons, Eintracht Frankfurt secured another presence in the Europa League group stage, following last season’s 6th Bundesliga position. Although the visitors face heavy competition to reach the highest stage of European football, Frankfurt has an enormous gap to close (16 points last season) to gain Champions League access.

While former manager Oliver Glasner, who took charge of Premier League outfit Crystal Palace, brought the Eagles back into the European competitions, his successor Dino Topmoller continued on the same path with impressive results in the Bundesliga and abroad.

However, despite an excellent pre-season tour with four consecutive wins that ended with a defeat against Valencia (3-2), Frankfurt opened the regular season with an empathic success in the Germany Cup against Braunschweig. Former PSG academy graduate, Hugo Ekitike stole the show with a masterclass second-half output scoring a pair of goals in 5 minutes.

Yet, despite this excellent start, the visitors face another tricky test at Signal Iduna Park, where they lost the last three encounters. Furthermore, the Eagles must improve their defence significantly after conceding 12 goals at Dortmund during this time, with the last success stemming back from April 2021 (1-2).

Team News

Dino Topmoller will not be able to recruit three players for the Dortmund clash. Central midfielder Mehdi Loune is a long-term absence after suffering a cruciate ligament tear at the beginning of July. His fellow midfield partners Harpreet Gothra (broken fibula) and Marcel Weing (cruciate ligament tear) joined the recovery room, leaving the Frankfurt boss with limited options in the middle of the park.

Key factors to consider

• Dortmund’s squad was subjected to a massive overhaul during the summer with a new manager appointed and several key figures departing the club
• The hosts started their season with a win in the German Cup against Phonix Lubeck (1-4)
• Frankfurt was demolished in the last three games played at Signal Iduna Park (three defeats in which they conceded 12 goals)
• The visitors opened their season on a high note after progressing further in the DFB Pokal (4-1 win against Braunschweig)

Conclusion

We anticipate Borussia Dortmund’s 4th consecutive win against Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday late afternoon. In addition, the previous matches played in Dortmund’s stadium were among the top matches in the Bundesliga, and this pattern looks likely to continue.

Verdict: Dortmund win & Over 2.5 goals 

Best odds: 117/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet