BERLIN - German champions Borussia Dortmund entertain Werder Bremen when the new Bundesliga season kicks off today aiming to claim a hat-trick of league titles.
Dortmund lifted the Bundesliga shield for the second consecutive season in May - leaving arch-rivals Bayern Munich empty-handed for the past two seasons - and can expect a sell-out 80720 crowd at their Signal Iduna Stadium.
Dortmund have only one injury concern among their title-winning squad with Poland right-back Lukasz Piszczek having strained a thigh muscle in training on Tuesday.
Bremen badly need a win at Dortmund to brush off their shock German Cup first-round defeat to third division minnows Prussia Muenster last weekend.
Bayern open their season at newly promoted Bavarian neighbours Greuther Fuerth, who are making their Bundesliga debuts alongside newly promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf and Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Bavarian giants are set to start with Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on the bench as he recovers from a foot injury.
They include a host of new signings such as Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic and Brazilian centre-half Dante.
With Bayern's Germany striker Mario Gomez, who scored 41 goals in 52 games last season, sidelined for the next three weeks after ankle surgery, Mandzukic and Peru striker Claudio Pizarro are battling for the lone striker berth.
Schalke 04, who along with Dortmund and Bayern have secured their Champions League berth this season, open their campaign against Hanover on Sunday with question marks over captain Benedikt Hoewedes and winger Jefferson Farfan.
Hoewedes pulled out of training with a bruised hip from the Royal Blues' 5-0 German Cup hammering of third division minnows Saarbruecken last weekend, while Farfan has a knee strain.
Bruised Bremen face Dortmund
BERLIN - German champions Borussia Dortmund entertain Werder Bremen when the new Bundesliga season kicks off today aiming to claim a hat-trick of league titles.
Dortmund lifted the Bundesliga shield for the second consecutive season in May - leaving arch-rivals Bayern Munich empty-handed for the past two seasons - and can expect a sell-out 80720 crowd at their Signal Iduna Stadium.
Dortmund have only one injury concern among their title-winning squad with Poland right-back Lukasz Piszczek having strained a thigh muscle in training on Tuesday.
Bremen badly need a win at Dortmund to brush off their shock German Cup first-round defeat to third division minnows Prussia Muenster last weekend.
Bayern open their season at newly promoted Bavarian neighbours Greuther Fuerth, who are making their Bundesliga debuts alongside newly promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf and Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Bavarian giants are set to start with Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on the bench as he recovers from a foot injury.
They include a host of new signings such as Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic and Brazilian centre-half Dante.
With Bayern's Germany striker Mario Gomez, who scored 41 goals in 52 games last season, sidelined for the next three weeks after ankle surgery, Mandzukic and Peru striker Claudio Pizarro are battling for the lone striker berth.
Schalke 04, who along with Dortmund and Bayern have secured their Champions League berth this season, open their campaign against Hanover on Sunday with question marks over captain Benedikt Hoewedes and winger Jefferson Farfan.
Hoewedes pulled out of training with a bruised hip from the Royal Blues' 5-0 German Cup hammering of third division minnows Saarbruecken last weekend, while Farfan has a knee strain.
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