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Borussia Dortmund, who finished second in the Bundesliga last season, will play host to FC Koln in the opening week of the 2023–24 season on Saturday. The Billy Goats ended 11th last season, 29 points behind the runners-up, while Dortmund finished second to defending champions Bayern Munich on goal differential.
With 73% possession and 24 shots compared to just one on target for the hosts, Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 6-1 victory against fourth-tier team Schott Mainz in the opening round of the DFB-Pokal last weekend to kick off the new season. Sebastien Haller, who scored five times in the final four games of the previous season in the Bundesliga, scored twice against Schott Mainz, while Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Donyell Malen, and Youssoufa Moukoko also found the back of the net.
After leading the Bundesliga for much of the 2022-23 season, Dortmund handed the crown to Bayern Munich on the final day of the previous campaign. After the World Cup break, the Black and Yellows went unbeaten in 19 league games, winning 14 and drawing four. However, a 2-2 draw with Mainz on the final day of the season gave the title to Bayern, who then won the championship with an 89th-minute goal against FC Koln.
After advancing to the second round of the DFB-Pokal with a 2-1 extra-time victory over VfL Osnabruck, FC Koln will take the field on Saturday. Osnabruck had the better of the play after Charalambos Makridis scored an equalizer for Benno Schmitz in the 73rd minute, but the Billy Goats prevailed 3-1 thanks to goals from Sargis Adamyan and Julian Chabot in overtime.
Although Steffen Baumgart’s squad ended nine points ahead of the bottom three and eleven points clear of the automatic relegation slots in the Bundesliga, FC Koln had an uneven 2022–23 season, with 10 victories, 12 draws, and 12 losses. Meanwhile, Dortmund had the greatest home record in the league, losing only one of their 19 league matches at Signal Iduna Park, while Koln won just four of their 19 away league outings last season, suffering seven draws and six defeats along the way.
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Dortmund vs Koln Game Information
- Date: 08/19/2023
- Time: 09:30 AM ET
- Location: Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund).
- How to Watch Dortmund vs Koln: ESPN+
- Live Stream: fubo.tv
