Borussia Dortmund v Sunderland AFC
Friday 5 August 2016
Cashpoint Arena
6pm (UK time)
Borussia Dortmund
Goalkeepers: Roman Weidenfeller has been with Borussia Dortmund since 2002 following a move from FC Kaiserslautern. The 35-year-old stopper faces stern competition for a starting berth, however, with Roman Burki cementing his place as the club’s domestic number one during the 2015-16 season. Weidenfeller, meanwhile, featured in the club’s UEFA Europa League campaign, meaning the Black Cats are likely to come up against the Swiss stopper when the sides meet on Friday.
Defence: Dortmund’s defence has undergone a period of change during the summer with Mats Hummels departing for Bayern Munich. The German international was a key player for Thomas Tuchel’s side but they were swift to replace him, bringing in Barcelona centre back Marc Bartra to fill the void. Neven Subotić (injured) has also been linked with a move away from the club whose rebuilding continued with the arrival of Raphaël Guerreiro, who will be competing with the likes of Sokratis, Lukasz Piszczek, Marcel Schmelzer and Erik Durm for a starting berth.
Midfield: Dortmund’s midfield ranks are bursting with talent despite losing Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan during the off-season. Already boasting the likes of Nuri Sahin, Shinji Kagawa and Sven Bender (international duty), Tuchel has recruited a number of top-class assets bringing Sebastian Rode and Andre Schurrle to the club. Add youngster Julian Weigl to the mix and Dortmund have a midfield line-up capable of once again competing with the very best.
Attack: Just like their midfield, Dortmund’s attack oozes quality. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is expected to lead the line for the club during the 2016-17 campaign despite being linked with a plethora of moves away, with Marco Reus (injured) also providing a key outlet for Tuchel’s side. This summer also saw the return of a former hero with World Cup winner Mario Gotze returning to Dortmund following a frustrating spell with Bayern Munich. Emre Mor, dubbed the Turkish Messi, has also arrived having impressed with Turkey at Euro 2016.
Manager: Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel enjoyed a stellar first season at the helm. Born in Krumbach, Tuchel enjoyed a modest playing career with Ausburg, Stuttgart Kickers and SSV Ulm, before injury brought a premature end to his time on the pitch. In 2000 the German began his coaching career with Stuttgart before returning to former club Ausburg where he worked as youth team coordinator. In 2009 he became head coach at FSV Mainz 05 and he once again followed in Jurgen Klopp’s footsteps in 2015, joining Dortmund after a period of sustained success with Mainz. During his first season at Dortmund he led them to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals and the DFB-Pokal final, as well as securing second place in the Bundesliga.
Team news
Borussia Dortmund
Nevan Subotic will miss the remainder of 2016 after undergoing surgery, with Marco Reus also expected to miss out due to an injury that ruled him out of Euro 2016.
Sven Bender and Matthias Ginter are also unavailable due to representing Germany at the Olympics.
Sunderland
Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt are expected to be available but Jermain Defoe is likely to miss out.
Last time out
Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Manchester City (City win 6-5 on pens)
Pep Guardiola claimed his first win at the expense of a former foe as Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund on penalties.
17-year-old Christian Pulisic netted a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to force extra-time, cancelling out Sergio Aguero's opener.
But it simply prolonged City’s wait as goalkeeper Angus Gunn saved from Mikel Morino to ensure a 6-5 victory on spot-kicks in Shenzhen's Longgang Stadium.
Montpellier HSC 1-1 Sunderland
Sunderland completed their pre-season tour of France with a 1-1 draw against Ligue 1 side Montpellier HSC in Aix-les-Bains.
Fabio Borini scored the opening goal of the game moments before the break, racing onto a sumptuous through ball forward from Lee Cattermole before steadying himself and dispatching a confident finish past David Congre.
As the clock ticked on the Italian's first-half strike looked like ensuring the Black Cats' 100% pre-season record, but a moment of magic from Souleymane Camara with 68 minutes played levelled the encounter and proved decisive.
Form (pre-season only)
Borussia Dortmund: WWWLWL
Sunderland: WWWWD
