German Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund will kick off its title defense on August 5 at home to a youthful Hamburg SV side, which is hoping to end a 24-year wait for a major trophy under new sports director Frank Arnesen.

"This is going to be a very exciting match. Hamburg have rebuilt their team under Arnesen and have signed many players, mainly from England," Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc told reporters after the fixtures were released yesterday. Bayern Munich, which finished third last season, takes on five-time champion Borussia Moenchengladbach while runner-up Bayer Leverkusen travels to Mainz 05 in the opening round.