Borussia Dortmund Faces Union Berlin in Home Season Opener

Dortmund, Germany — Borussia Dortmund will host 1. FC Union Berlin on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at the Signal Iduna Park, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 PM local time.

After a mixed start to the season, Dortmund seeks victory after a narrow 1-0 win against Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB-Pokal and a disappointing 3-3 draw with FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga’s opening round. Coach Niko Kovac has faced challenges, especially defensively, and his side is under pressure to perform at home.

This week’s match will be crucial as the other results from the Bundesliga show both a determined Union Berlin and a Dortmund struggling with injuries. Dortmund’s defense will be missing key players including Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can, and Niklas Süle due to injuries. The team has enlisted new arrival Aarón Anselmino in the starting lineup, looking to bolster their defense against a resilient Union side that previously won against VfB Stuttgart.

Union Berlin’s head coach Steffen Baumgart aims to build on solid performances, having started their season with a commendable 2-1 victory against Stuttgart. “We need to maintain our momentum and keep the fighting spirit alive,” said Baumgart.

Notably, Dortmund has won all six previous Bundesliga home matches against Union, making Signal Iduna Park a daunting venue for the visitors. However, Union has shown resilience, remaining unbeaten away in their last five league matches.

Fans can catch the match live on DAZN, with coverage starting at 4:45 PM. The game will not be available on free TV, but highlights will be featured later on ARD, ZDF, and Sport1.

Jan Platte and Michael Ballack will be covering the match for DAZN, providing insights and commentary as the teams take to the field.