Borussia Dortmund 2025/26 Season Preview

3 weeks ago

1 minute read

Team Overview

Borussia Dortmund enters the 2025/26 Bundesliga season with renewed optimism under head coach Niko Kovač. After a turbulent start last year, Kovač guided the team from 11th place to finish 4th, securing UEFA Champions League qualification.

This turnaround has raised expectations for the new campaign.

Transfers

The summer transfer activity was modest but strategic.

Departures:
- Jamie Gittens → Chelsea for €56 million
- Soumaila Coulibaly → Strasbourg
- Youssoufa Moukoko → Copenhagen
  Combined fee: €12 million
Arrivals:
- Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland for €30.5 million
- Yan Couto (loan made permanent)
- Daniel Svensson for €6.5 million after a successful loan

The signing of Jobe Bellingham is seen as an attempt to replicate the impact of his brother, Jude Bellingham, during his Dortmund spell.

Pre-season Performance

Dortmund’s pre-season showed mixed form:

8-1 win vs. Sportfreunde Siegen
3-2 win vs. LOSC Lille
2-1 defeat vs. Juventus in Mats Hummels’ farewell match

The competitive season begins with a DFB-Pokal first-round clash against RW Essen.

Predicted Starting XI (3-4-1-2)

GK: Gregor Kobel
DEF: Julian Ryerson, Waldemar Anton, Ramy Bensebaini
MID: Yan Couto, Pascal Groß, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson
AMF: Jobe Bellingham
FOR: Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi

Season Outlook

While Dortmund has added promising pieces, questions remain about squad depth and the absence of a clear talisman. Success will depend heavily on the rise of Jobe Bellingham and consistent performances from established figures.

With Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen also strong, Dortmund must prove they can sustain a title challenge.

Prediction

Borussia Dortmund are expected to contend for the top spots in the Bundesliga. A top-three finish and a deep Champions League run look realistic goals.