Borussia Dortmund 2022/23 Preview: Fixtures, Transfers, Star Player & Predictions

It has been over a decade since Borussia Dortmund last won the Bundesliga title, with the Signal Iduna Park chiefs growing tired of waiting for domestic success. 

Demoted to playing second fiddle to perennial champions Bayern Munich, Die Borussen has had to settle for a runner-up finish in three of the last four league campaigns. 

Only last season, they finished eight points adrift of Julian Nagelsmann’s side. But they head into the 2022/23 season, hoping to whittle down the gap on their arch-rivals. 

Here is our Dortmund season preview for 2022/23. Make sure you also check out our full Bundesliga 2022/23 season preview.

Borussia Dortmund Fixtures

Dortmund’s new Bundesliga season gets underway on August 6 as they play host to fierce rivals Bayer Leverkusen in their mouth-watering 2022/23 curtain-raiser. 

A stretch of matches against sub-par opposition, including Freiburg (A), promoted Werder Bremen (H), Hertha BSC (A) and TSG Hoffenheim (A), will serve to prepare them for a blockbuster clash away to RB Leipzig. 

The first Der Klassiker of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season falls on October 8, with Bayern scheduled to arrive at Signal Iduna Park. They will not meet again in top-flight action until April 1, 2023.  

Dortmund’s final league fixture ahead of the 2022 World Cup break pits them against Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia Park on November 12. 

Germany’s top division will return to action on the weekend of January 21, with Die Borussen welcoming last season’s relegation strugglers Augsburg to the Westfalenstadion. 

Dortmund will cap off the upcoming season on May 27, 2023, at home to Mainz 05, hoping to be in contention for the title when the final weekend comes. 

Manager

After a decent two-year managerial stint at Gladbach, many had thought Marco Rose could make a difference at Dortmund and finally wrestle the Bundesliga title out of Bayern’s hands. 

However, a trophyless maiden season at the Westfalenstadion spelt an early end for the 45-year-old’s tenure at Die Borussen, forcing the re-appointment of Edin Terzic. 

The 2022/23 season won’t be Terzic’s first rodeo since he was entrusted with the interim charge of Dortmund in the second half of the 2020/21 season upon the sacking of Lucien Favre. 

Despite failing to dethrone Bayern, the 39-year-old guided his team to DFB-Pokal glory before handing over the managerial reins to Rose at the end of the season. 

He may have stepped down from the bench, but he has never left the Westfalenstadion, having spent the entirety of last season as a technical manager.

Familiar with everything in and around the club, Terzic will pick up where he left off a year ago.

His first task as a new manager will be to solidify Dortmund’s porous defence that conceded more goals (52) than any other Bundesliga side to secure the European spots last season. 

One thing Terzic’s predecessor Rose thrived in was the attacking aspect of the game, with Die Borussen tallying 85 goals in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season, only seven short of Bayern. 

With Dortmund averaging 2.2 goals per match during Terzic’s first pre-season at the helm, you would assume they will continue to score at will next term.

Transfer Business

Much has changed at the Westfalenstadion this summer, not only the manager.

Long-serving goalkeepers Roman Burki and Marwin Hitz left on free transfers, Marcel Schmelzer retired, while the club released young centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou. 

It is also worth noting that Dortmund severed ties with midfield stalwart Axel Witsel, who left the Bundesliga to link up with Atletico Madrid on a short-term contract. 

And finally, the German heavyweights sold the goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland to Manchester City for €60m, leaving a sizeable hole in the front third to be filled. 

Terzic thought that the acquisition of Sebastien Haller from Ajax for €31m would help Dortmund remain an attacking force to be reckoned with, but destiny had other plans. 

Only a month into his new Bundesliga experience, Haller was diagnosed with a testicular tumour, which will force him to take a lengthy spell on the sidelines. 

Dortmund will instead have to rely on up-and-coming forward Karim Adeyemi to partner up with Donyell Malen up front after arriving from Red Bull Salzburg for €30m.

It will be up to permanent Germany national team fixtures Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Sule to tighten things up at the back alongside senior stars Mats Hummels and Nico Schulz. 

Star Player

If it weren’t for long-term recurring injury issues, Dortmund captain Marco Reus would have been a potential Ballon d’Or candidate at some point during his stellar career. 

That does not take away the fact he is the most skilful and talented forward in the Bundesliga, and he has the numbers to back this claim. 

Despite playing a support role to Haaland last season, the 33-year-old still racked up nine goals and 17 assists in 29 Bundesliga appearances.

Not many players decided to pledge loyalty to their clubs when Barcelona or Real Madrid came knocking on the doors, yet Reus turned the Spaniards down to stay in his homeland. 

Reus’ love for Dortmund is beyond measure, and next season will be one of his final years at peak powers, meaning he will be primed to lead his side’s title charge. 

As long as he stays fit, there is no doubt that the veteran forward will be Terzic’s leader on and off the pitch. 

Prediction

Rose and Haaland failed to help Dortmund get out of the Bayern shadow, but maybe Terzic and Adeyemi will – that is what the Westfalenstadion faithful would want to believe. 

But let’s face it, Die Borussen have been no match to the Bavarian high-flyers for years, and that is unlikely to change next term, especially after Haaland left. 

A nasty habit of conceding cheap goals and throwing away points against smaller teams has to go if Terzic’s lads were to mount a genuine title challenge next season. 

More importantly, Dortmund will have to find a way to go toe-to-toe in Der Klassiker after losing seven consecutive Bundesliga meetings with Bayern. 

It is unacceptable for a team aspiring to the highest goals to be bullied by direct rivals time and time again, yet that has been Dortmund’s reality over the past few years. 

They have the quality in their ranks, but mental fortitude and ability to flourish in high-octane moments have often been missing in the past. 

If Terzic can overcome those problems, Dortmund could have a chance to bring Bayern’s long-term reign of dominance in German football to a halt. 

More Borussia Dortmund Resources

Borussia Dortmund Fixtures & Results
Bundesliga Fixtures
Bundesliga Table
Bundesliga Top Scorers
Live Bundesliga Streams