Borussia Dortmund begin the new Bundesliga season under pressure after a difficult start to the campaign. A 1-2 Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich at Signal Iduna Park set an uncomfortable tone, with the team outplayed for much of the first half before a second-half improvement that produced only a consolation goal from substitute Fabio Silva. The performance drew sharp criticism from coaching legend Ewald Lienen, who took aim at both the players and head coach Niko Kovac for what he described as an overly cynical approach, as reported by GOAL. Kovac, for his part, accused Bayern assistant Aaron Danks of insulting him during the match, demanding an apology in his post-game interview with Sky, as covered by GOAL.

The defensive situation adds to the concern heading into Saturday's home opener against Hamburger SV. Nico Schlotterbeck remains sidelined with a ligament injury sustained at the World Cup, and GOAL's report indicates his return is unlikely before October. Ramy Bensebaini compounded the problem in the Supercup, receiving a red card and being taken to hospital with a suspected rib injury, leaving the backline thin.

Off the pitch, transfer business has produced mixed results. The signing of Konstantinos Karetsas for 30 million euros was secured ahead of interest from AC Milan, according to GOAL, and the 18-year-old impressed on his debut in the Supercup. However, the pursuit of Barcelona right-back Hector Fort has collapsed, with the player reportedly choosing Real Sociedad after Dortmund and Barcelona failed to agree terms, as GOAL reported. With the transfer window closing on September 1, Dortmund head into their Bundesliga opener against Hamburg needing results to quickly shift the mood.