MD1 Bundesliga Tips: Back Dortmund to make a winning start & find anytime scorer pick | OneFootball

German Bundesliga

Dortmund have signed Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy

The new Bundesliga season is upon us, and Kevin Hatchard has three tips for Matchday One.

Betfair SuperBoost

Manchester United travel to Brighton with it all to do, that's according to the odds that as the home side as favourites off the back of the performance of the weekend at Everton.

One of the star players last week was Kaoru Mitoma, back from a lengthy injury last season and netting Brighton's first goal of the season.

Mitoma is a menace for defenders on the left wing, proven by getting Ashley Young sent off after nipping past him and forcing the former Man Utd player to drag him back.

Indeed, Mitoma was fouled 1 or more times in 14 of his 19 Premier League appearances last season, averaging 1.39 fouls won per 90 minutes played. Plus, he has also won 1 or more fouls in all his previous appearances against Manchester United.

Betfair have SuperBoosted him to be fouled one or more times again vs Manchester United, from 1/3 to 1/1!

Sahin era can start with back-to-back wins

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht FrankfurtSaturday 24 August, 17:30Live on Sky Sports

It's been a summer of change in Dortmund. After reaching the Champions League final at Wembley and falling short against Real Madrid, coach Edin Terzic decided to step down. Terzic is a BVB man through and through (he was once a fan on the terraces), but questions persisted about his tactical nous, and perhaps he thought it was better to jump before he was eventually pushed.

Terzic wasn't the only significant individual to leave Die Schwarzgelben. Former captains Marco Reus and Mats Hummels saw their contracts expire, successful loan signings Jadon Sancho and Ian Maatsen weren't retained on a permanent basis, and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrüg went for big money to West Ham.

Terzic's replacement at coach is another BVB man. Nuri Sahin was an exceptional midfielder under Jürgen Klopp and others, and was one of Terzic's assistants in the second half of last season. Although he is only 35, he has already had two seasons as a coach in Turkey with Antalyaspor, and he speaks with a steel and an authority that belies his age.

There have been some smart signings. Serhou Guirassy scored 30 goals in all competitions for Stuttgart last term, Waldemar Anton was an exceptional defender for the same club, and former Hoffenheim forward Maximilian Beier is a rising star.

Eintracht Frankfurt finished sixth last season, but coach Dino Toppmöller hasn't fully convinced, although he is seen within the German game as a very smart operator. The club have once again focused on attracting young talent - teenage forward Can Uzun has been recruited from Nürnberg, Hugo Ekitike's loan move from PSG has been made permanent, and Rasmus Hojlund's younger brother Oscar has come in from Copenhagen.

Frankfurt have a dreadful record in Dortmund in recent years, and have lost on 12 of their last 13 visits. On their last three visits they have lost 5-2, 4-0 and 3-1, and I think they'll be overpowered here by a Dortmund side that strengthened cleverly over the summer. You could use the Sportsbook and back Borussia Dortmund to win and Over 2.5 Goals at 6/5 (14 of the last 15 editions of this fixture have featured three goals or more), but I'll be a touch more conservative and just back Dortmund -0.5 & -1.0 on the Asian Handicap at 1.92. If the hosts win by a single goal, it's a half-win, and a bigger victory gives us a full pay-out.

Brilliant Belgian to hit the net

RB Leipzig v BochumSaturday 24 August, 14:30

RB Leipzig have managed to retain their star strikers from last season, and given their business model, that's not always a given. Slovenia goal-getter Benjamin Sesko committed to the club, despite interest from Arsenal, and there was never really much of a buzz around Lois Openda leaving. That's something of a surprise when you consider the Belgian international rattled in 24 goals in the Bundesliga last season.

Bochum barely stayed up last season, and they have lost their creative heartbeat with the departure of attacking midfielder Kevin Stöger. Japan international forward Takuma Asano has gone to Spain, and rising midfield star Patrick Osterhage has joined Freiburg.

Bochum have made a poor start under new coach Peter Zeidler, who made his name in Switzerland with St Gallen. They tumbled out of the DFB Pokal on Monday at second-tier Jahn Regensburg, and I don't think they are ready to compete with a star-studded Leipzig side who have won nine of their last 13 Bundesliga home matches.

I'll back Openda to score here at 4/5 on the Sportsbook.

Heidenheim to spoil the Pauli party

St Pauli v HeidenheimSunday 25 August, 16:30

St Pauli are back in the Bundesliga after a long absence, but the loss of coach Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton is a huge blow, and the Buccaneers have understandably been careful in the transfer market. The Hamburg-based club can at least use Sunday's opponents Heidenheim as a template, after they upset the odds by staying up with room to spare and qualifying for Europe.

Heidenheim have lost some key players, but I can't understand why they are the big outsiders here. Yes, they had to go to Sweden for a Conference League tie on Thursday, but this is a side that lost just 12 of their 34 league games last season. They also won that game against Hacken, which will provide a major confidence boost.

I'll back Heidenheim +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.8.

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