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The Catalan was criticised for clashing with AC Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong on Tuesday but the Bayern sporting director views the incident as evidence of the coach's commitment
Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has admitted that Pep Guardiola is "petulant" - but argued that the coach has every right to be.
Guardiola caused controversy on Tuesday by angrily confronting AC Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong during the half-time break in Tuesday's Audi Cup clash at the Allianz Arena, after being left bitterly upset by the Dutchman injuring Joshua Kimmich during the opening 45 minutes.
Sammer says he sees nothing wrong with the Catalan's outburst, claiming that it merely underlined the 44-year-old's commitment to the Bayern cause.
"Every day, every second, I can see how he is fighting," the former Germany international told reporters on Friday.
"We are preparing for a difficult season and Bayern Munich is always under pressure. This gets mirrored [in how Guardiola behaves].
"He is certainly petulant, but he has the right to be, because he is so focused."
Meanwhile, Sammer dismissed mounting speculation that Mario Gotze is set to leave Bayern, just two years after joining from Borussia Dortmund for €37 million.
The Germany international's agent has admitted that the versatile attacker is less than impressed with his lack of game time under Guardiola but Sammer believes that the World Cup winner will stay put.
"Mario has a contract with us for another two years," the former sweeper stated. "He knows the situation here.
"You must not forget that he still is a very young player. We have a big squad with great quality, so it's normal for a player to have thoughts of leaving.
"But I expect him to move on and show the will to break through here. He wants that."
Sammer also dismissed speculation that Bayern are unsatisifed with Robert Lewandowski and the striker's form going into the new season.
"We're very happy with him," he added. "He is a pure world class player. It is normal that it takes him a little longer during the preparations to find his rhythm.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola hailed the impact Douglas Costa has had since arriving at the club from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Costa played 90 minutes in Bayern's 1-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday that saw Guardiola's men secure the Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena, with the Brazil international starting on the left wing in a 4-3-3 formation.
The 24-year-old has started all but one of five friendlies this close-season, while he also played the entire 90 minutes in Bayern's DFL-Supercup loss to Wolfsburg on Saturday.
But when Costa signed a five-year deal on July 1, there was plenty of criticism from the German media and Bayern fans, according to Guardiola, who is convinced the Brazilian winger will help some of his star players improve.
"I thought that something like this would happen," Guardiola said.
"Bayern have signed a player. A player that not many people knew about because he played for Shakhtar. At first, the media criticised the transfer but the club gave him time. People criticised Douglas Costa without knowing him.
"I have to admit I was surprised a bit too. I knew his qualities because I played five or six times against Shakhtar. And I knew his qualities were in the one-on-one. But it is not only that, he can play both left and right and also works defensively.
"From the first moment on, we saw what a great player he is. Bayern Munich is lucky to have him. He is a young player and he has a lot of potential. He is great when it is one against one, or against two or three.
"Robert Lewandowski will play better because of him, Thomas Muller will, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben will also."
In six seasons with Shakhtar, Costa scored 29 goals and notched 30 assists in 141 league matches.
Mario Gotze has denied publicly criticising Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola and insists he is very happy with life at the Allianz Arena.
The Germany international - who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final - was quoted after the Audi Cup as saying his time at Bayern would work better if "Guardiola talks to me more often", sparking speculation about his future.
Gotze has won two Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal since making his controversial move from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2013, making 69 starts in all competitions.
Despite his success, Gotze has been linked with a move away from the club amid talk of a tough relationship with Guardiola, something he vehemently denies.
"It was taken a little wrong," he told Kicker. "It was only part of my quote.
"I want to make it clear that I would never publicly criticise someone, certainly not the coach or a player.
"I'm very, very happy here, there is no question. I feel very, very comfortable. The rest remains to be seen."
Eljero Elia has completed his move to Feyenoord from Werder Bremen on a free transfer.
The Dutch winger spent the second half of last season on loan at Southampton, making 17 appearances for the Premier League side, and had previously expressed a desire to remain at St Mary's Stadium on a permanent basis.
However, he will now return to the Eredivisie for the first time since leaving Twente in 2009.
Elia has signed a two-year deal at Feyenoord, whose technical director Martin van Geel said: "With his experience and his qualities he can definitely help our team. We are very happy that Eljero has chosen Feyenoord.
"He has played over the years at big clubs in major European leagues."
Elia joined Bremen from Juventus in 2012, having previously spent two years in the Bundesliga with Hamburg.
He boasts 28 caps for the Netherlands, but has not represented his country since 2012.
The DFB-Pokal winners have wrapped up a deal that will see the coach remain there until 2018 and he was delighted to pledge his future to the club
Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking has extended his contract with the club until 2018.
The 50-year-old took over in 2012 and guided the club to its maiden DFB-Pokal title last season, triumphing over Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Hecking, whose previous was due to expire in 2016, more recently masterminded Wolfsburg's DFL-Supercup win over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and has now been rewarded with a new contract.
"If something good has come together, one should not separate," Hecking said of his decision to sign.
"I'm therefore delighted that we will continue the successful path together in the coming years.
"I have always stressed that I am pleased to remain beyond 2016. We have a lot of plans for the coming years and I look forward to the tasks that lie ahead."
Vidal does not fit Guardiola's philosophy, says Kahn
By Stefan Coerts
Aug 10, 2015 11:37:35
The ex-Germany No.1 is not convinced that the midfielder is the right man for Bayern Munich, even if he does have certain specific qualities
Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has questioned the Bundesliga champions' decision to bring in Arturo Vidal as he feels the Chile international does not fit head coach Pep Guardiola's philosophy.
The Bavarians made a move for the former Juventus star after losing Bastian Schweinsteiger to Manchester United and eventually got their man for an initial transfer fee of €37 million.
Although Kahn feels that Vidal has specific qualities, Kahn is not convinced the 28-year-old is the right man for Guardiola's side.
"Vidal brings a certain aggression and special mentality to the team," the ex-German goalkeeper was quoted as saying by Kicker.
"But he does not really fit into Pep Guardiola's philosophy."
Vidal made his official Bayern debut in the German Supercup defeat to Wolfsburg, before scoring his first goal for the Bavarians in the 3-1 DFB Pokal win over Nottingen at the weekend.
He previously enjoyed a successful spell in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen between 2007 and 2011.
The captain has conceded that the Bundesliga champions still have plenty of work to do ahead of the start of their title defence
Philipp Lahm has stressed that Bayern Munich must improve in the wake of their underwhelming DFB-Pokal victory over Nottingen on Sunday.
Goals from Arturo Vidal, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski earned the Bundesliga champions a 3-1 victory at the home of their fifth-tier opponents, yet Lahm has acknowledged that Pep Guardiola's men were by no means at their best.
"The most important thing is that we have progressed to the next round and that nobody got injured," the former Germany international was quoted as saying by Kicker.
"But it is clear that we will have to play better next time. Thank god we immediately scored a second goal after they equalised. You never know what can happen in football."
Bayern open their Bundesliga campaign at home against Hamburg on Friday, with HSV likely to be low on confidence after crashing out of the DFB-Pokal following a shock defeat to Carl Zeiss Jena.
Nevertheless, Lahm has warned his team-mates not to take the game lightly.
"Hamburg's Pokal exit will not affect Friday's game," the versatile defender added. "HSV will do everything within their powers to get off to a good start in the Bundesliga.
"It is up to us to ensure the three points remain in Munich."
The bus was attacked by a man on a motorcycle on Sunday who fired shots at the windscreen, but fortunately no one was hurt
Hertha Berlin's team bus came under gunfire on Sunday as the team travelled to their DFB-Pokal game with Arminia Bielefeld.
The Bundesliga club travelled by train to Bielefeld on Sunday ahead of Monday's cup tie against the second tier team, but the bus that was coming to pick them up was met by a man on a motorcycle who pulled out a gun and fired shots.
No one was injured as the players were not yet on the bus when the incident happened, but a bullet hole was found on the windscreen of the vehicle.
Hertha tweeted pictures of the bus on Sunday evening and called for any witnesses to come forward and provide information to the police.
"Unbelievable! Our team bus was shot at on the way to the Cup match. Fortunately, no one is hurt!" one tweet read.
The police are still on the lookout for the culprit.
The German police has started the search for the person who took aim at the Bundesliga side's team bus on Sunday
Police have opened an investigation into Hertha Berlin's team bus being shot at on Sunday.
The German club's players were not aboard the vehicle at the time of the incident, as it was being driven to collect the squad.
Hertha, who are due to play Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB-Pokal first round on Monday, confirmed that no one was harmed in the incident, yet local police have nonetheless opened an inquiry into the attack.
"The investigation has so far revealed that the motorcyclist initially overtook the bus and shook his fist and showed 'the middle finger'," a statement from the Bielefeld police reads.
"Then he turned the bike and shot from the oncoming traffic onto the windshield of the bus. The windshield was not penetrated. The bus driver was able to stop the bus safely. He was not injured."
Speaking about the incident, director of football Michael Preetz said it was lucky that nobody had been injured.
"If you look at the bullet hole one can imagine what would have happened if the bullet had penetrated the window," he told Berliner Zeitung.
"[It was] a huge shock [for the driver]. He has survived many dangerous situations on the road, but he has never looked into the barrel of a gun."
Rumours continue to swirl that Manchester City will complete the signing of Kevin De Bruyne, but Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking feels the midfielder could move to a bigger club.
The Belgian is reportedly edging closer to a return to the Premier League, with City said to have made a formal bid of around €45million.
De Bruyne has impressed since arriving in the Bundesliga from Chelsea in January 2014 and was named German Player of the Year last term.
And coach Hecking believes De Bruyne will remain a Wolfsburg player - stating the 24-year-old is good enough to attract interest from elsewhere.
"I expect Kevin to stay. With all due respect for Manchester City, it would be different if Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich made a move," he told Kicker.
"I would understand a departure then."
Sporting director Klaus Allofs was of a different opinion, suggesting De Bruyne would have to consider offers from elsewhere.
"I think that interested clubs have turned Kevin's head a bit. We are talking about incredible sums here," Allofs added.
"I understand that all this is on Kevin's mind. He will have to listen to offers. We cannot expect him to just ignore those offers.
"The transfer window remains open for three more weeks. Any interested clubs that still feel they have a chance of signing him will get involved."
Hamburg say sensitive documents stolen and recovered over the weekend are now back in the club's possession.
Reports in German newspaper Bild claimed wage slips and contract details were among items to be found after sporting director Peter Knabel's backpack was stolen.
Personal documents belonging to Knabel were also in the bag, which was discovered by a member of the public in a Hamburg park.
The incident comes after the club who were bundled out of the DFB-Pokal at the first hurdle by fourth-tier Carl Zeiss Jena on Sunday.
Hamburg tweeted a day later to confirm the documents had been returned and that the police had been made aware of the incident.
"Facts-orientated story: backpack stolen, charge filed, documents are back, thanks to the finder, play better football. #clarified," the club stated.
Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is yet to decide whether Roman Burki or Roman Weidenfeller will be his first-choice goalkeeper this term.
Following the departure of Mitch Langerak, both Weidenfeller and Burki have featured in competitive outings prior to the start of the Bundesliga season.
Veteran Weidenfeller and former Freiburg goalkeeper Burki both stand a chance of playing key roles during Tuchel's debut season, the Dortmund boss explained.
"There will be an answer to the goalkeeper debate," he told reporters.
"First we have to decide this internally. We're discussing it with the team of trainers, with the goalkeeping coach and, of course, with the keepers themselves.
"We currently have two excellent goalkeepers, which we need. Both are - in addition to their outstanding performance in training - very valuable in their own ways with their behaviour within the team, how they take on their different roles, and also how they handle the competition between themselves.
"We are very happy with this and therefore we will come together [in the] next week in all openness and clarity and make a decision."
Dortmund kick off their Bundesliga campaign at home to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to rule out the arrival of Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne is reportedly close to making the move to the Premier League, with City said to have made a formal bid in the region of €45million.
Pellegrini was quizzed about the 24-year-old Belgium international following City's 3-0 win over West Brom on Monday and said: "It is just rumours so it is not important for me to answer all different names that can come and go.
"We will see what happens from now until the end of August when the window closes.
"I think we can have a stronger squad because we are playing in four competitions. So if we can do it with a player that can improve our squad, we will try to do it."
Bundesliga Preview: Borussen derby test for Tuchel, newcomers could shine
12 August 2015 15:31
Bayern Munich look likely to begin their Bundesliga campaign with a bang, while Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund revolution begins with a stern examination against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Runaway Bundesliga winners in each of the last three seasons, Pep Guardiola's side begin the 2015-16 campaign at home to Hamburg.
Bayern enjoy an aggregate scoreline of 32-3 from six successive home wins against Friday's season-opening opponents in league action and the ongoing malaise around 'The Dino' points to another thumping.
Bruno Labbadia rescued Hamburg from relegation in last season's play-offs, but is immediately under pressure, having overseen DFB-Pokal elimination at the hands of fourth-tier Carl Zeiss Jena.
Though the start of Bayern's campaign appears easy to predict, that of those seen as their strongest rivals is anything but, especially given two – Dortmund and Gladbach - begin their season against each other.
On the surface, Tuchel has changed little from the Dortmund squad that capitulated so spectacularly under Jurgen Klopp - Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus remain the team's key figures.
Glimpses of the high-octane style that earned Tuchel plaudits at Mainz came through in a 5-0 UEFA Europa League win against Wolfsberger, but Gladbach are an established force under Lucien Favre.
Germany striker Max Kruse's departure for Wolfsburg is offset by the arrivals of midfield goalscoring threats in Lars Stindl and the permanent capture of Thorgan Hazard, while Josip Drmic - signed after a dismal season at Bayer Leverkusen - will hope to recapture his 2013-14 best, which returned 17 goals in a relegated Nuremberg side.
Though boosted by Kruse, Wolfsburg are expected to lose creative powerhouse Kevin De Bruyne before the transfer window closes, their season plans subsequently remaining up in the air before hosting Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
A tweaked Leverkusen outfit host Hoffenheim on Saturday, while Franco Di Santo makes an immediate return to Werder Bremen when Schalke head to the Weserstadion.
Bundesliga new boys Ingolstadt and Darmstadt will hope to begin their seasons with results befitting of their respective fairytale ascents to the top flight.
Neither were among the promotion favourites in the 2.Bundesliga this time last year, but Germany's youngest professional club - Ingolstadt - won the second-tier title before Darmstadt followed them up on the final day, securing a first return to the Bundesliga since 1982 - in which time the club has fallen into insolvency and been reborn.
Ingolstadt take their first steps as a Bundesliga club at Mainz, while Darmstadt host a Hannover side that struggled last term and has since been shorn of their best player, Stindl.
Last season's surprise package Augsburg start their season at home to Hertha Berlin, while Cologne and Stuttgart round off the opening fixtures at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Bayern Munich v Hamburg: Champions target another heavy win to kick off defence
12 August 2015 16:02
Hamburg may well be dreading their opening-day trip to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich following a succession of heavy defeats at the Allianz Arena.
The men from Germany's second biggest city have conceded a remarkable 31 goals in their last five trips to Bayern, with 9-2 and 8-0 thrashings contributing to their misery.
For a Hamburg side who have scraped top-flight survival in recent seasons, it does not get any tougher.
Bayern, who have recorded three Bundesliga crowns on the bounce, will view Friday's fixture as an early chance to re-assert their dominance after the close-season.
Arturo Vidal, Douglas Costa and Joshua Kimmich have all made their way to Munich in recent weeks, as coach Pep Guardiola – once again heavily linked with taking charge at Manchester City – prepares himself for another push for glory on three fronts.
That trio of signings made their competitive debuts in Sunday's DFB-Pokal first-round win at Nottingen, along with fellow new arrival Sven Ulreich, who has already noticed differences between the demands of being a goalkeeper for Bayern and former club Stuttgart.
"It's a big difference," he told the club's official website. "You don't have to make many saves and, as a keeper, you're involved in the actual build-up play.
"In Stuttgart I usually played a long ball; here the build-up is done quietly from the back, there are very few long balls.
"If you get the ball you have to stay calm and patient and see where you can pass it next. Almost always there's someone available.
"I'm getting more and more used to it every week."
Ulreich is unlikely to depose Manuel Neuer as Bayern's number one, but the 27-year-old is relishing the new campaign nonetheless.
"Pre-season is always hard. Now we can't wait for the league games to begin," he added.
"There’s some excited tension. We're all looking forward to the kick-off at the Allianz Arena, in front of our fans.”
Bayern, who lost three of their final four league fixtures last term, will be without Franck Ribery (ankle) and Holger Badstuber (thigh) for the Bundesliga curtain-raiser.
Jerome Boateng believes Bayern Munich's Bundesliga opener against Hamburg on Friday is "dangerous" and has warned fans not to expect the defending champions to "destroy every opponent" this season.
Bayern start their quest for a fourth successive domestic league crown against a side that secured their top-flight safety via the play-offs last season. Pep Guardiola's men are overwhelming favourites to claim the three points at the Allianz Arena but Boateng believes his former club will prove tricky opponents.
"It is dangerous, they have nothing to lose," he told reporters. "But if we are aggressive and focused I won't worry. We won't underestimate Hamburg, however, or make them smaller than they are."
Bayern finished 10 points ahead of Wolfsburg last season and enjoyed winning margins of 19 and 25 points in the two campaigns before that.
Despite that impressive record, Boateng is wary of making bold predictions and expects the odd bad day for the Bavarian giants.
He added: "The most important thing is to get a good start to the season and that is a win, no matter how it is achieved. Nevertheless people must not expect us to destroy every opponent. We are human beings and it's absolutely normal to have some bad games as well.
"We have lots of competitors like Wolfsburg, Dortmund, Monchengladbach and Leverkusen."
Guardiola has strengthened an already formidable Bayern squad with Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa during the transfer window, and Boateng is relishing the prospect of working with the former in particular.
He said: "He is a player that gives everything at any time. He knows that he has to be calmer and smarter in some situations but he has lots of quality and will definitely help us."
Boateng's career has been plagued by fitness issues but he believes he now has a greater understanding of what his body needs to remain injury free.
"I care for myself and my body and I eat well," he said. "Sometimes you are simply unlucky but you can prevent injuries on the other hand as well. When you get older, you get to know your body better and you can react earlier or quit training."
Bayer Leverkusen have completed the signing of sought-after midfielder Charles Aranguiz from Internacional on a five-year deal.
Chelsea and Arsenal were among the clubs linked with the Chile international, who played his part in his country's recent Copa America success on home soil.
Aranguiz also caught the eye in Brazilian club Internacional's run to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores and Leverkusen chief executive Michael Schade rates the signing of the 26-year-old as a considerable coup.
"We are happy and satisfied that our persistence has paid off," Schade told the club's official website.
"Our efforts have long been focused on completing this transfer and that has not been made any easier by the player's outstanding displays both at the Copa and with his club.
"It's even more pleasing to win out against strong competition from abroad. We were written off in the race to sign Aranguiz. We have reached a fair solution with the Brazilian [club]."
Aranguiz revealed that Bayern Munich new boy Arturo Vidal swayed his decision to move to the BayArena.
He said: "The Bundesliga is one of the best and most attractive leagues in the world and Bayer 04 has been one of the top clubs for years.
"My international team-mate Arturo Vidal raved about Bayer 04 and that's why I wanted to join this club.
"I also see Leverkusen giving me the big chance of playing in the Champions League. Leverkusen have almost been in it every year and we want to make to the group stage again this year.
"I'm looking forward to this huge challenge in a new country."
Leverkusen start their Bundesliga campaign at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claims Bayern Munich will not be trying to tempt Kevin De Bruyne to join them from Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg.
Belgium international De Bruyne was in sparkling form last season as Wolfsburg finished second behind Bayern, and has been the focus of much transfer speculation during the current window.
Manchester City are reported to be interested in the attacker, and their cause may be helped by Bayern chief executive Rummenigge ruling his club out of making any offers.
"He is a very good player. But to be honest we have a team which is very good," Rummenigge said.
"And the player is not for sale. [Wolfsburg sporting director] Klaus Allofs said that the player will stay at Wolfsburg for 99.99 per cent. I would say for 100 per cent Bayern will not try to buy him."
Rummenigge also took time to comment on the futures of Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze, both of whom have been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena, with Manchester United rumoured to be interested in the former.
"It's difficult. Everyone knows our old friend Louis van Gaal. He is very stubborn in those things [transfers]," Rummenigge said.
"Maybe he thinks that there is a price where Bayern will start to ruminate but there is no price at all. As I said because of our partners and our really good financial situation we are completely resistant.
"There is no price, Thomas Muller has four years more on his contract. There is no one, not here or anywhere, who can explain to me why we should sell Thomas Muller.
"He is a very important face for Bayern especially off the field. I labelled him as unsellable in China and nothing has changed since then.
"Clubs say that sometimes there isn't any price to sell players. That's maybe a new experience for English clubs.
"Mario has to make a decision. Of course there is a big competition at his position but we all know how long his contract is, he has two more years. He told the club that he wants to stay and wants to compete - therefore I wish him good luck."
Guardiola sets Bayern targets ahead of Bundesliga opener
13 August 2015 15:58
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says his side must target a historic fourth successive Bundesliga title and reach at least the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions.
No side has won the German top flight four years running, although Guardiola's men will be heavy favourites to achieve the feat having added the likes of Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal to their ranks.
However, Guardiola is yet to win the Champions League with Bayern – bowing out in the last four for the past two seasons.
Bayern kick off their Bundesliga season against Hamburg on Friday and Guardiola said: "Of course, we would like the championship.
"Nobody has managed the fourth championship, so that would be a big step. But we have strong competitors: not just Wolfsburg, but Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach, Dortmund, Schalke.
"In addition, I want to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with this squad, then we have to see."
Bayern have been linked with Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin De Bruyne this close-season, although the Belgium international seems destined to join Manchester City.
Guardiola reiterated his stance on De Bruyne while dismissing any talk of exits for Thomas Muller or Mario Gotze.
"Thomas remains, Mario remains, De Bruyne is not coming. I knew that a long time ago, for two weeks now," he added, before discussing the fitness and form of Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso respectively.
"[Ribery] is getting better. We hope that he can come back as soon as possible. I speak here every day with him," he said.
"In our [Champions League] semi-final against Barcelona, Xabi was our best player. He needs at his side a midfielder who will play the ball and run, then Xabi plays better.
"He's an insane professional, I have no doubt about his quality."'
Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach: New boss Tuchel set for Bundesliga opener
13 August 2015 17:37
Thomas Tuchel begins his first Bundesliga campaign as Borussia Dortmund head coach with the visit of Borussia Monchengladbach to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
Tuchel took over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season, having been at the helm at Mainz for the previous five years.
And the 41-year-old has overseen a hugely encouraging pre-season schedule, picking up six wins from seven friendlies, as well as progressing in both the UEFA Europa League and the DFB-Pokal.
However, Tuchel's primary objective will be to restore Dortmund to the UEFA Champions League, with the club having missed out on qualification last term following a miserable start to the campaign.
Mired in relegation trouble at Christmas, Dortmund eventually clawed their way back to finish seventh at the end of the season, but begin 2015-16 at home to a club who exceeded expectations to finish third.
While that performance earned Gladbach the Champions League berth that Dortmund so crave, head coach Lucien Favre insists his focus is on domestic matters.
"Despite taking part in the Champions League, the Bundesliga is our top priority," said Favre. "We are happy the season is getting under way again.
"It is always a special occasion in Dortmund, in front of a huge crowd. It will be a very interesting opener."
Dortmund added to their ranks during the close-season with the signings of Gonzalo Castro and Julian Weigl, but it is the arrival of goalkeeper Roman Burki from Freiburg that could cause Tuchel the biggest selection headache.
After a 2-0 cup victory over Chemnitzer last weekend, Tuchel discussed the competition between Burki and incumbent number one Roman Weidenfeller, saying: "There will be an answer to the goalkeeper debate.
"First we have to decide this internally. We're discussing it with the coaching staff, with the goalkeeping coach and of course with the keepers themselves.
"We currently have two excellent goalkeepers, which we need. Both are - in addition to their outstanding performances in training - very valuable in their own ways with their behaviour within the team, how they take on their different roles, and also how they handle the competition between themselves."
Encouragingly for Dortmund, they have only lost one of their last 14 matches at home to Monchengladbach, with the Borussia Park outfit collecting just five points from those matches.
Despite Dortmund's dominance on home soil in recent times, the head-to-head record between these sides is remarkably close.
Of the 86 meetings between the sides, Dortmund and Monchengladbach have 29 wins apiece, while the remaining 28 have ended all-square.
