2015/16 Bundesliga season fixtures released
June 26, 2015
Forty-nine days before the start of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season, the opening fixtures have been released, with defending league champions Bayern Munich hosting Hamburg in the opening Friday fixture.
Thomas Tuchel faces a tough start as Borussia Dortmund head coach as they host high-flying Borussia Mönchengladbach. Last year's German Cup winners Wolfsburg are at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, while Leverkusen hosts a Roberto Firmino-less Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga new boys Darmstadt get to open their 2015/16 league account in front of their own fans when they host Hannover, while Ingolstadt travels to Mainz.
Andre Breintenreiter takes his Schalke side on the road to play Werder Bremen in what looks an intriguing match-up. And Stuttgart host Cologne, while European dreamers Augsburg welcome capital club Hertha Berlin.
Big match-ups early on
Bayern get to test their mettle relatively early on when they host Wolfsburg on matchday 6, and only two matchdays later Pep Guardiola's side are at home against Borussia Dortmund. Thomas Tuchel faces a good set of fixtures to start. Aside from the Gladbach test on the opening day, BVB travel south to play Ingolstadt, before playing Hertha (h), Hannover (a) and then Leverkusen (h). Matchday 15 also holds excitement when Bayern and Dortmund hit the road to face Gladbach and Wolfsburg respectively.
Dieter Hecking's side looks to have a comfortable start. After their opener, they travel to Cologne before facing their first real test against Schalke. All eyes will be on them, Gladbach, and Augsburg (should they qualify) to see how they handle competing in three competitions in the new season.
The big Bundesliga derbies get started midway through the first half of the season, when Dortmund host Schalke on matchday 12, although the first edition of the Cologne-Gladbach derby is on matchday 5, with the Carnival club hosting first.
Both the Bundesliga new boys face a tough start. Ingolstadt follows up their opener with a home game against Dortmund and then Augsburg (a) and Wolfsburg (h). They don't play regional rivals and Bundesliga big guns Bayern until matchday 16 though, when they get the chance to host Pep Guardiola and co. Darmstadt get to host the mighty Bayern Munich as soon as matchday 5. The two new faces will first meet in the top flight on matchday 13.
Bayern finish the season at home to Hannover, while Dortmund and Wolfsburg face battles against Cologne and Stuttgart respectively. Ingolstadt and Darmstadt will be hoping they don't need points when they face Leverkusen (a) and Gladbach (h) respectively on the fated final weekend.
While the league season starts on August 14, the German football season will officially open when Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg compete for the Super Cup on Saturday, August 1.