B. Leverkusen vs. RB Leipzig (Saturday, 2.30pm)
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Bayer Leverkusen begin their Bundesliga campaign at BayArena on Saturday, looking to get the better of Super Cup winners RB Leipzig.
Xabi Alonso's side had an encouraging off-season, while Leipzig began competitive action with last week's thrashing of defending league champions Bayern Munich.
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 RB Leipzig
Despite the promise of goals, the winner of the last five games between Leverkusen and Leipzig has seen the winning side keep a clean sheet.
That is not expected this time, with Alonso's side edging proceedings in gameweek one.
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Wolfsburg vs. Heidenheim (Saturday, 2.30pm)
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The 2023-24 Bundesliga begins this weekend, with Wolfsburg hosting newly promoted Heidenheim on Saturday.
The Wolves enjoyed a strong opening season under Niko Kovac's management, while Heidenheim won the second tier for the first time in their history in dramatic style.
We say: Wolfsburg 3-1 Heidenheim
Heidenheim will be immensely motivated for this match given that it will be their first ever Bundesliga match in the club's history, but it could prove to be a rude awakening for them regarding the amount of quality at this level.
While we expect Wolfsburg to be worked hard for their victory, Kovac's side became an increasingly solid team as last season wore on, and they will hope to qualify for Europe this time around.
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Hoffenheim vs. Freiburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)
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Hoffenheim and Freiburg will begin their 2023-24 Bundesliga campaigns when they meet each other at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena on Saturday.
Hoffenheim were involved in a relegation battle for the majority of last season before finishing 12th, while Freiburg narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
We say: Hoffenheim 2-1 Freiburg
Hoffenheim have recruited smartly during the transfer window and they should head into this campaign with real momentum after escaping relegation with some excellent form under Matarazzo's guidance.
Freiburg have had a quieter summer, but they may find Flekken's gloves in goal difficult to fill. Having punched above their weight for two seasons running yet ultimately fallen short of their Champions League dream, we would not be surprised to see them start the season a little slowly here.
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Augsburg vs. Borussia M'bach (Saturday, 2.30pm)
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Augsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach kick off their 2023-24 Bundesliga campaigns when they clash at the WWK Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts only narrowly managed to avoid relegation last season, with the visitors finishing in 10th place, so both sides will be eager to kick on and challenge further up the table this season.
We say: Augsburg 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
Augsburg have a solid recent home record against Borussia Monchengladbach, winning the last three matches at the WWK Arena, but the visitors finished much higher in the table last season.
It is the start of a new era for the Foals, who are now under the helm of Seoane, so we expect them to be good enough to take at least a point this Saturday.
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Stuttgart vs. VfL Bochum (Saturday, 2.30pm)
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Stuttgart kick off their Bundesliga campaign with a home match against VfL Bochum at the MHPArena on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts finished 16th in the table last season, surviving after winning a relegation playoff against Hamburg, with the visitors coming in 14th place, having acquired two more points.
We say: Stuttgart 2-0 VfL Bochum
Stuttgart have a very impressive home record against VfL Bochum, and they have won the last two matches between the two sides, so we expect them to kick off their campaign with a win this weekend.
Bochum have already been knocked out of the DFB Pokal against a side playing two divisions below them, so we do not think they stand much chance of getting a positive result this weekend.
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Dortmund vs. FC Koln (Saturday, 5.30pm)
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After narrowly missing out on the title last season, Borussia Dortmund kick off their 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign with a home fixture against FC Koln on Saturday.
While Dortmund finished behind perennial champions Bayern Munich on goal difference, the Billy Goats finished 11th last term - 29 points shy of the runners-up.
We say: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 FC Koln
Given that Borussia Dortmund suffered a solitary defeat in 19 home league games last season - scoring 55 goals while conceding just 17 - we expect BVB to kick-start their Bundesliga campaign with a comfortable victory over FC Koln.
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Ben Knapton
