Europe League winners Eintracht Frankfurt and champions FC Bayern Munich open the 60th season of the Bundesliga. The first game of the 2022/2023 season, which will be interrupted for two months by the World Cup in Qatar, will take place on August 5 (8:30 p.m., the highlight video immediately after the final whistle at WELT) in Frankfurt. This was confirmed by the German Football League (DFL) with the publication of the match schedule on Friday in Frankfurt/Main.
Traditionally, the defending champion is allowed to play the first game. The first day of the game offers two more highlights with the duel between Champions League participants Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen and the derby between 1. FC Union Berlin and Hertha BSC. Second division champions FC Schalke 04 will start at 1. FC Köln. First division returnees Werder Bremen start with a northern duel at VfL Wolfsburg.
The top game of the first half of the season between runners-up BVB and Bayern will be played in Dortmund on matchday 9 (October 7-9, 2023). The district derby between Borussia and Schalke 04 will also take place in Dortmund on the 7th match day (September 16-18).
Key dates of the new season: Since the soccer World Cup in the desert state of Qatar cannot be held in summer for climatic reasons, but only in winter, a two-month winter break has to be taken. Therefore, the first half of the season in the Bundesliga will be interrupted after matchday 15 and in the 2nd division after matchday 17 (November 11th to 13th). After the winter break, things will continue in the upper house on January 20th and in the second division on January 27th. The season ends on the 27th/28th of each month. May 2023.
Software instead of pencil: The times when the Bundesliga schedule with 612 games on 34 match days was created by hand using an “English key” are long gone. Each club was assigned a number between 1 and 18 and fitted into a scheme. This automatically resulted in encounters. A software specially developed for the creation of fixtures makes many things easier – but the DFL planners are not superfluous.
More than computer logic: It just doesn’t work according to scheme F. There are many interests, requirements and the unforeseeable that must be taken into account. These include problems with fans (e.g. in high-risk games), requirements from security bodies, requests from municipalities and cities, stadium operators or media partners of the DFL. In addition, neighboring clubs such as Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin or FC Schalke and Borussia Dortmund are to be staggered to their home games. Other parallel major events and public holidays must also be included.
European competitions: The Bundesliga fixtures must also be coordinated with the schedule of the European football union Uefa and the world association Fifa. The Bundesliga clubs are represented in the Champions League, Europa League and the Conference League, whose games are played on weekdays. A club that plays in the Europa League on Thursday should not play again directly on Saturday or on Sunday if the Champions League is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Cup and Supercup: In addition, there are the dates of the DFB Cup. The 1st round will be played between July 29th and August 1st next season. That weekend, on Saturday (July 30), the Supercup between German champions Bayern Munich and DFB Cup winners RB Leipzig will also take place. Your two games in the first round of the DFB Cup are scheduled for August 30th and 31st. The cup final will take place on June 3, 2023 in Berlin.
1st matchday
Friday, August 5th, 2022: Eintracht Frankfurt – Bayern Munich 8.30 p.m., Saturday, August 6th, 2022 (like all other game days not yet finally scheduled): Borussia Dortmund – Bayer Leverkusen, 1. FC Union Berlin – Hertha BSC, 1. FC Cologne – FC Schalke 04, Bor. Mönchengladbach – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, VfL Wolfsburg – Werder Bremen, VfL Bochum – FSV Mainz 05, FC Augsburg – SC Freiburg, VfB Stuttgart – RB Leipzig.
2nd matchday
Saturday, August 13th, 2022: Bayern Munich – VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen – FC Augsburg, RB Leipzig – 1. FC Köln SC, Freiburg – Borussia Dortmund, FSV Mainz 05 – 1. FC Union Berlin, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – VfL Bochum, Hertha BSC – Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Schalke 04 – Bor. Mönchengladbach, Werder Bremen – VfB Stuttgart.
3rd match day
Saturday, August 20, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, 1. FC Union Berlin – RB Leipzig, Bor. Mönchengladbach – Hertha BSC, Eintracht Frankfurt – 1. FC Cologne, VfL Wolfsburg – FC Schalke 04, VfL Bochum – Bayern Munich, FC Augsburg – FSV Mainz 05, VfB Stuttgart – SC Freiburg.
4th matchday
Saturday, August 27th, 2022: Bayern Munich – Bor. Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig – VfL Wolfsburg, SC Freiburg – VfL Bochum, 1. FC Köln – VfB Stuttgart, FSV Mainz 05 – Bayer Leverkusen, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – FC Augsburg, Hertha BSC – Borussia Dortmund, FC Schalke 04 – 1. FC Union Berlin, Werder Bremen – Eintracht Frankfurt.
5th matchday
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen – SC Freiburg, 1. FC Union Berlin – Bayern Munich, Bor. Mönchengladbach – FSV Mainz 05, Eintracht Frankfurt – RB Leipzig, VfL Wolfsburg – 1. FC Cologne, VfL Bochum – Werder Bremen, FC Augsburg – Hertha BSC, VfB Stuttgart – FC Schalke 04.
6th matchday
Saturday, September 10th, 2022: Bayern Munich – VfB Stuttgart, RB Leipzig – Borussia Dortmund, SC Freiburg – Bor. Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln – 1. FC Union Berlin, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – FSV Mainz 05, Eintracht Frankfurt – VfL Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC – Bayer Leverkusen, FC Schalke 04 – VfL Bochum, Werder Bremen – FC Augsburg.
7th matchday
Saturday, September 17th, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – FC Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen – Werder Bremen, 1. FC Union Berlin – VfL Wolfsburg, FSV Mainz 05 – Hertha BSC TSG, 1899 Hoffenheim – SC Freiburg, Bor. Mönchengladbach – RB Leipzig, VfL Bochum – 1. FC Cologne, FC Augsburg – Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart – Eintracht Frankfurt.
8th matchday
Saturday, October 1st, 2022: Bayern Munich – Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig – VfL Bochum, SC Freiburg – FSV Mainz 05, 1. FC Köln – Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt – 1. FC Union Berlin, VfL Wolfsburg – VfB Stuttgart, Hertha BSC – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, FC Schalke 04 – FC Augsburg, Werder Bremen – Bor. Mönchengladbach.
9th matchday
Saturday, October 8th, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen – FC Schalke 04, FSV Mainz 05 – RB Leipzig, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Werder Bremen, Bor. Mönchengladbach – 1. FC Köln, VfL Bochum – Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Augsburg – VfL Wolfsburg, VfB Stuttgart – 1. FC Union Berlin, Hertha BSC – SC Freiburg.
10th matchday
Saturday, October 15, 2022: Bayern Munich – SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig – Hertha BSC, 1. FC Union Berlin – Borussia Dortmund, 1. FC Cologne – FC Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt – Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg – Bor. Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart – VfL Bochum, FC Schalke 04 – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen – FSV Mainz 05.
11th matchday
Saturday, October 22, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen – VfL Wolfsburg, SC Freiburg – Werder Bremen, FSV Mainz 05 – 1. FC Köln, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Bayern Munich, Bor. Mönchengladbach – Eintracht Frankfurt, VfL Bochum – 1. FC Union Berlin, FC Augsburg – RB Leipzig, Hertha BSC – FC Schalke 04.
12th matchday
Saturday, October 29, 2022: Bayern Munich – FSV Mainz 05, RB Leipzig – Bayer Leverkusen, 1. FC Union Berlin – Bor. Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Cologne – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt – Borussia Dortmund, VfL Wolfsburg – VfL Bochum, VfB Stuttgart – FC Augsburg, FC Schalke 04 – SC Freiburg, Werder Bremen – Hertha BSC.
13th matchday
Saturday, November 5th, 2022: Borussia Dortmund – VfL Bochum, Bayer Leverkusen – 1. FC Union Berlin, SC Freiburg – 1. FC Cologne, FSV Mainz 05 – VfL Wolfsburg, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – RB Leipzig, Bor. Mönchengladbach – VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg – Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha BSC – Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen – FC Schalke 04.
14th matchday
Tuesday, November 8th, 2022: Bayern Munich – Werder Bremen, RB Leipzig – SC Freiburg, 1. FC Union Berlin – FC Augsburg, 1. FC Cologne – Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, VfL Wolfsburg – Borussia Dortmund, VfL Bochum – Bor. Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart – Hertha BSC, FC Schalke 04 – FSV Mainz 05.
15th matchday
Saturday, November 12, 2022: Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg – 1. FC Union Berlin, FSV Mainz 05 – Eintracht Frankfurt, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – VfL Wolfsburg, Bor. Mönchengladbach – Borussia Dortmund, FC Augsburg – VfL Bochum, Hertha BSC – 1. FC Cologne, FC Schalke 04 – Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen – RB Leipzig.
16th matchday
Saturday, January 21, 2023: Borussia Dortmund – FC Augsburg, RB Leipzig – Bayern Munich, 1. FC Union Berlin – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, 1. FC Cologne – Werder Bremen, Bor. Mönchengladbach – Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt – FC Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg – SC Freiburg, VfL Bochum – Hertha BSC, VfB Stuttgart – FSV Mainz 05.
17th matchday
Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Bayern Munich – 1. FC Cologne, Bayer Leverkusen – VfL Bochum, SC Freiburg – Eintracht Frankfurt, FSV Mainz 05 – Borussia Dortmund, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg – Bor. Mönchengladbach, Hertha BSC – VfL Wolfsburg, FC Schalke 04 – RB Leipzig, Werder Bremen – 1. FC Union Berlin.
