Borussia Dortmund and AS Roma have confirmed their starting lineups for Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Signal Iduna Park, marking the Black and Yellows’ final warm-up fixture before competitive football returns.
Niko Kovač’s side complete their summer preparations against the Serie A outfit exactly one week before hosting FC Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. The encounter offers a last opportunity to test combinations following a 3-2 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
The meeting carries personal subplots for the visitors. Former Dortmund forward Donyell Malen starts for Roma after swapping the Ruhr district for the Italian capital earlier in the transfer window. Meanwhile, Mats Hummels—who ended his playing career following a brief spell with Roma—will attend the match at his former home ground.
Home Debuts for New Recruits
Saturday’s fixture offers a first taste of Signal Iduna Park action for five of Dortmund’s summer acquisitions. Joane Gadou and Konstantinos Karetsas have earned places in the starting eleven, while Justin Lerma, Kauã Prates and Takato Yamamoto are also expected to feature during the contest.
Confirmed Lineups
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Gadou, Mane, Bensebaini; Svensson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Ryerson; Karetsas, Inácio; Guirassy.
AS Roma: Svilar; Hermoso, Ndicka, Mancini; Lulli, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soule, Dybala; Malen.
Women’s Fixture
The day began positively for the Dortmund camp, with the club’s women’s team defeating Roma Femminile 1-0 in front of more than 8,000 supporters. While Roma arrived as reigning Italian domestic double winners, BVB Women are preparing for a season in the Regionalliga West after missing out on a fourth successive promotion.
Looking Ahead
This fixture represents the final rehearsal before Dortmund turn their attention to the DFL-Supercup showdown against Bayern Munich, which offers an immediate opportunity to secure silverware.