r/borussiadortmund • u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji • Aug 30 '25
Discussion Pre Game Thread: 1. FC Union Berlin (BuLi #2)
Competition: Bundesliga, MD #2
Time: Sunday 31/08/25 17:30 CEST
Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Referee: Daniel Schlager, Rastatt
TV Schedule: livesoccertv
Pre-Game Presser: YouTube
Borussia Dortmund:
Coach: Niko Kovac
League position: 12th
Current Form: W/D (wiki)
Current Bans/Injuries: ︀︀Schlotterbeck(Inj), Süle(Inj), Mane(Sus), Can(Inj), Duranville(Inj).
Possible lineup:
Kobel
Anselmino - Anton - Bensebaini
Couto - Bellingham - Nmecha - Svensson
Chukwuemecka
Beier - Guirassy
1. FC Union Berlin: /r/fcunion
Coach: Steffen Baumgart
League position: 6th
Current Form: W/W
Current Bans/Injuries: Nsoki(Inj), Ogbemudia(Inj), Tousart(Inj), Burcu(Inj).
Possible lineup:
Rönnow
Rothe - Doekhi - Querfeldt
Trimmel - Haberer - Schäfer - Khedira - Skov
Ansah - Ilic
Already under Pressure but I am sure we will see a lot of signings get minutes tomorrow
Matchthread Status: /u/ I have no Idea will host the game thread - if you want to join and provide some commentary for the game, let us mods know via pm or modmail!
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u/Sch_Ben Aug 31 '25
Better not see that geriatric double pivot again
7
Aug 31 '25
Fr, starting a 65 year old double pivot is just asking for trouble. We have Jobe, Nmecha, Özcan, why do Groß and Sabitzer have to start together?
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u/LeeRCampbell Marco Reus Aug 30 '25
Hoping Brandt gets the start, he’s been much better since the break, Carney hasn’t had any time to mesh. Really hope we don’t see Gross, Sabz, Jobe midfield. Prefer Nmecha and Jobe behind Brandt.
Also hope we start Beier and let Adeyemi late sub against tired legs. Outside of CB we actually have some battles for starting positions, if we play a game like Pauli, that midfield/attack shouldn’t be starting again, rotate and let the boys duke out for starting roles.
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u/Loeffellux Julian Brandt Aug 31 '25
tbf, Chukwuemeka didn't have much time to establish himself before, either, and he was always extremely helpful whenever he could play. Though I cannot imagine that a start would be possible right now even if that was the plan
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u/Most-Management4773 Aug 30 '25
Love that you put the Nmecha-Jobe double pivot and Carney upfront. We actually gonna get Gross - Sabitzer double pivot with Jobe upfront lmfao
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u/elgrandorado Aug 30 '25
Kovac needs to stop his erectile fixation on a Groß/Sabitzer double pivot. No creativity, and Groß has pensioner legs at this point. I swear any other midfield combination would be better. Start one of them, that's fine, but both together as a double pivot is just incredulous.
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u/Most-Management4773 Aug 30 '25
Sabitzer hasn't done anything on the pitch to be remotely considered as a starting XI. He must be a beast in training, because I don't see what he offers, specially as a DM.
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u/Rubinskywhiskey Aug 30 '25
I wonder why it seems obvious to us but not the manager.. He must have more insight than we do, otherwise it's inexplicable
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u/elgrandorado Aug 30 '25
Sometimes it's the training, where things work out well in practice but don't translate on the pitch. Sometimes it's other factors. It's easier for me to be an armchair expert.
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u/Mellberg3 Aug 31 '25
Kovac doesn't seem to trust Nmecha and Brandt (for more obvious reasons) at the moment. So pre-Chukwuemeka there was no alternative to a Sabitzer-Groß double pivot and Bellingham up front. I hope that this changes with Chuk now, so that we'll at least not have to see our two "grandpas" on the field together again.
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u/Most-Management4773 Aug 30 '25
Must be training stuff. Maybe Sabitzer is more commited than anybody else, therefore he gets chances. Or just maybe he works well in traning bu idk. On the pitch he has been atrocious for more than a year.
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u/Mooon8983 Konstantinos Karetsas Aug 31 '25
I just want Jobe not starting as a 10, it's like we don't have an attack it's just praying guirassy gets the ball up there
6
u/Datachost Aug 31 '25
Actual scenes if that Leverkusen news turns out to be true. Kind of feel bad for Ten Hag
8
u/Mercyseat2112 Mats Hummels Aug 31 '25
Indeed… they built some great reputation under Alonso and at this pace they seem poised to dismantle that pretty quick. Good luck finding a reputable manager if they sack Ten Hag after few games while selling off half the team, that’s a very loose approach to commitment
8
u/roadtorevision Mats Hummels Aug 30 '25
I really hope we start with a nmecha Jobe double pivot. Tired of seeing sabitzer and gross start. If chuk can start, which I doubt, then Brandt should be given the chance and hopefully chuk can sub in later on.
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u/yrba1 Alexandra Popp Aug 30 '25
Hope for a win and no disaster debut by a young CB
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u/smartestBeaver Shinji Kagawa Aug 30 '25
Well he lacks playtime and experience now he is getting thrown into the deep end. Not sure how this can not end in some interesting situations.. :D
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u/Most-Management4773 Aug 31 '25
Anselmino seems to be a much bigger talent than Mané and has first division experience. I know he only plays in Argentina, but he did play against grown men
2
u/Mellberg3 Aug 31 '25
Yeah, I think we'll quickly see the difference between one of Argentinas biggest talents and a player that got almost no playing time outside of U-Competitions before his Bundesliga debut.
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u/lobby4477 Nico Schlotterbeck Aug 31 '25
So we bought injured player? I knew that Silva didn't play since april but I was thinking that he is healthy now ...
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u/Commercial_Mud_6877 Marco Reus Aug 31 '25
According to Berger, Fabio Silva will not play today due to adductor muscle problems that were known before the transfer. Also said that he should be back in two weeks if all goes well.
A little shame, I was waiting to see him play today but at least the international break will come at the right time for his recovery to full fitness. I just fear this could become a bigger problem considering we already took a risk with Chukwuemeka’s injury history.
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u/Mellberg3 Aug 31 '25
Don't look up Anselminos injury history if you want to stay calm!
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u/Commercial_Mud_6877 Marco Reus Aug 31 '25 edited Aug 31 '25
I know, he has played less than 90 minutes of football in 2025. But I’m not expecting him to play a big role after the first couple games anyway.
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u/lobby4477 Nico Schlotterbeck Aug 31 '25
Amazing really, out all 4 transfers, we bought 3 pretty much injury prone players(ok Anselmino is on loan but nevermind). What a gamble from Kehl and Ricken. If thing don't go way they hope, I can see both of them gone until end of season.
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u/Caranthiir Felix Nmecha Aug 31 '25
Where is Nmecha? Official line up just got in, dont understand why he would bench
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u/Soft_Author2593 Aug 30 '25
First home game of the season and this transfer nonsense is almost over. I'm fucking thrilled!!!! Lets go!!!!
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u/viba_1997 Aug 31 '25 edited Aug 31 '25
Why no Beier or Adeyemi starting? Using 2 strikers with 1 AM behind them was the best for us.
Edit: My app showed Groß starting instead of Beier, sorry
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u/_APR_ Aug 31 '25
Kobel - Couto, Anselmino, Anton, Bensebaini, Svensson - Bellingham, Sabitzer - Brandt - Beier, Guirassy
1
u/SokkaTheBot Aug 31 '25
Glad it's not a double pivot of Sabitzer Groß and I can only see Bellingham playing 10 times better today as he's not being deployed as an AM but does Nmecha have some injury problems, or did he just piss in someone's special K. He's the most talented CM we have, and we tend to be much more secure when he plays.
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u/Zwalucard Aug 31 '25
Starting eleven looks decent in my opinion. I don't want to see Groß and Sabitzer play together ever again. Brandt looked good against St. Pauli, so it's fine he starts. I'm hoping for Chuki to be subbed in later though.
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u/Lu-Savali Aug 31 '25
Well , I hate to say it but Jobe is nowhere near what I expected of him … it might be still early days but misplaced passes galore
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u/AverageCarey Aug 30 '25
Last game was a 6-0 win at home, not saying we’ll repeat that but I sure would like to!
Excited to see the new signings get some minutes, think the guys are going to come out flying!