DFL releases match schedules: Bochum hosts Hertha to kick off the 2. Bundesliga on August 7

Opening match and free TV

The match will be broadcast by the pay-TV channel Sky as well as on free-to-air television by Sat.1. This means both opening matches — the Bundesliga's on August 28 and the 2. Bundesliga's on August 7 — will be available on free-to-air television.

Only a few hours before the Bundesliga opening match, the fixture for the second-division opener had been announced. As part of the "Bundesliga City Challenge," the Bundesliga opening match was also unveiled.

Bundesliga kickoff: Bayern vs. Stuttgart

The Bundesliga opening match is also a high-profile affair: on August 28 at 8:30 p.m., reigning German champion FC Bayern München hosts VfB Stuttgart in a replay of the most recent DFB-Pokal final. This means a repeat of last season's DFB-Pokal final, which the Munich side won 3-0.

The complete first Bundesliga matchday at a glance: - FC Bayern - VfB Stuttgart - BVB - HSV - RB Leipzig - Gladbach - SC Freiburg - Werder Bremen - FC Augsburg - Schalke 04 - Mainz 05 - SC Paderborn - Union Berlin - Eintracht Frankfurt - 1. FC Köln - TSG Hoffenheim - SV Elversberg - Bayer Leverkusen.

North derby, runners-up, and HSV premiere

A historic debut is celebrated by promoted side SV 07 Elversberg, who play at home against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. SV Elversberg thus faces a top team straight away in their Bundesliga premiere. On the first Bundesliga matchday, Borussia Dortmund hosts Hamburger SV. HSV, in their second season back in the top flight, must immediately face runners-up Dortmund (August 29/30).

HSV coach Merlin Polzin assessed the draw: "Natürlich hätten wir die Saison gerne mit einem Heimspiel gestartet. Trotzdem freuen wir uns sehr auf dieses Duell. Dortmund ist ein Top-Gegner mit einem besonderen Stadion." On matchday two, FSV Mainz 05 comes to the Volkspark (September 4–6); HSV also plays away at TSG Hoffenheim (October 9–11).

Werder also faces two tough tasks right at the start of the new Bundesliga season: Freiburg away on matchday one, then Leipzig at their home premiere at the Weserstadion. Werder coach Daniel Thioune said: "Es ist sicherlich ein herausfordernder Start für uns." Regarding the match against Freiburg, he added: "Freiburg ist für mich ein besonderer Auftakt, weil es auch mein erstes Spiel als Werder-Trainer war." Both teams were in fine form last season: SC Freiburg reached the Europa League final, while RB qualified for the Champions League.

Ruhr derby and Schalke's return

Niko Kovac, who is set to coach BVB, wants to lead the black-and-yellows back into title contention: "Schwarz-Gelb möchte den FC Bayern in der Liga angreifen und in the Champions League für Schlagzeilen sorgen." Dortmund's squad comprises 31 players with a total market value of €1.01 billion; their latest signing is Ismael Saibari.

Two dates have been set for the Ruhr derby between Schalke and Dortmund: the first leg in Gelsenkirchen on the first weekend of December, the return leg on the weekend of the 9th … — the exact dates for the duel are matchday 12 (December 4–6) and matchday 29 (April 9–11). The last two Ruhr derbies took place in the 2022/23 season; in the 100th Bundesliga Ruhr derby in history, Königsblau were the perceived winners — Dortmund won the first leg 1-0 through a goal by Youssoufa Moukoko, before the return leg at Schalke ended 2-2.

Other top matches for record champions Bayern in the first half of the season include against Schalke as early as matchday 2 (September 4–6), against RB Leipzig on matchday 6 (October 16–18), and against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday 16 (January 12–14). If Bayern reclaim the Meisterschale, it will be presented to them for the season finale against Eintracht Frankfurt.

In the 2. Bundesliga, Energie Cottbus announces their return with a home match against Hannover 96. To kick off the season, 96 travels to promoted side Energie Cottbus — the first home match the following week sees Magdeburg visit promoted VfL Osnabrück's Bremer Brücke. Six teams from northern Germany are competing in the 2. Bundesliga this season: the relegated sides VfL Wolfsburg and FC St. Pauli, along with Hannover 96, Holstein Kiel, Eintracht Braunschweig, and promoted side VfL Osnabrück.

St. Pauli also kicks off their mission to return to the top flight with a home match. The Kiezkicker welcome Greuther Fürth at the Millerntor. "Wir freuen uns darauf, zu Hause in die neue Spielzeit zu starten. Wann wir gegen welches Team spielen, ist angesichts der Leistungsdichte in der Liga dagegen zweitrangig. Klar ist aber, dass wir möglichst erfolgreich in die Saison starten wollen.", the club stated.

Already on matchday two, new coach Marcel Rapp faces a return to his former team Holstein Kiel; the "Störche" must first travel to SV Darmstadt 98 for the season opener. As early as matchday two, 96 host the "Wölfe," after Hannover and Wolfsburg last met in the Bundesliga in April 2019. Arminia Bielefeld also kicks off the season with an away match at Karlsruher SC — only two NRW teams remain in the second division: alongside VfL, Arminia Bielefeld.

DFL schedule creation with high-performance software

The Lower Saxony derby between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hannover 96 takes place at the Lions' ground on matchday 9 (October 23–25) and on matchday 26 (March 12–14) at the Roten. The southwest derby between FCK and Karlsruher SC is also scheduled for matchday two; the return legs take place at the Max-Morlock-Stadion and at the Wildpark on matchday 19 (January 29–31).

Fans and clubs look to the schedules for the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga with great anticipation. "Bis zu den endgültigen Spielplänen gibt es Hunderte Rechendurchläufe." For the enormous number of variables, according to Farr, "fährt die DFL extra die eigenen Serverkapazitäten hoch." The Bundesliga group has been using software specifically developed for this purpose since 2018, incorporating all specifications and variables for the 36 professional clubs.

What about the exact scheduling? For the 2. Bundesliga, the exact kickoff times for matchdays 1 and 2 are planned for the coming week (July 6–10), with matchdays 3 to 6 to follow in parallel with the first Bundesliga scheduling the following week.

One novelty in the upcoming season is the extended first international break, for which one international break in the first half of the season is eliminated entirely. This year, the breaks in September and October are being combined for the first time. The first international-break-related league pause of the year comes already after matchday 4 (September 21) and lasts until October 7. A second international break follows in November. The final international break of the season takes place in March as usual.

International breaks and winter break

The winter break begins after