Borussia Dortmund has started the new Bundesliga season with a narrow victory. Thanks to a goal from Donyell Malen in the 88th minute, coach Edin Terzic’s team won 1-0 against 1. FC Köln. The victory was not entirely deserved: the visitors were dangerous several times and even hit the crossbar. Due to the victory, Dortmund is currently sixth in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund started the game with two newcomers: left back Rami Bensebaini and defensive midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who came over this summer from Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich respectively. Malen was also in the base. Felix Nmecha, who came over from VfL Wolfsburg for thirty million euros this summer, started on the bench. At Köln there was one former Eredivisionist in the base with Julian Chabot.
The home team had a very difficult time with Köln in the first half. It barely got through the enemy defense, while the visitors suddenly came close to 0-1 after more than fifteen minutes: an attempt by Davie Selke ended up on the crossbar via Niklas Süle. Dortmund lacked the speed and decisiveness to become dangerous. In the last fifteen minutes of the first half the Boruses then finally a bit more threatening, but Julian Brandt (rescue Marvin Schwäbe) and Mats Hummels (header wide) were unable to break the spell.
Both teams threatened several times in the second half. The greatest opportunities were for the visitors: Eric Martel headed wide on a pass from Florian Kainz, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was able to prevent substitute Sargis Adamyan from scoring twice and Dejan Ljubicic shot just over. Dortmund, meanwhile, did not get much further from a Hummels header that went wide, so that the home team seemed to open the season with a loss of points. Until a corner was extended just before time and ended up at Malen. While falling, the Dutchman hit, so that the three points remained in Dortmund.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VfB Stuttgart | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | VfL Wolfsburg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Bayer Leverkusen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | SC Freiburg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | FC Augsburg | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Darmstadt 98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FSV Mainz 05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 1. FC Union Berlin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | RB Leipzig | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 14 | TSG Hoffenheim | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 15 | 1. FC Cologne | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Heidenheim | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Werder Bremen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | VfL Bochum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |