Bundesliga Schedule 2015-16: Official List of Fixtures for New Season

Nick AkermanJun 26, 2015

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will begin their 2015-16 title defence with a home fixture against Hamburg on Aug. 14.

The full list of fixtures was released for the upcoming campaign on Friday. Last season's runners-up, Wolfsburg—who finished 10 points off Bayern's total of 79 points—begin with a home encounter against Eintracht Frankfurt.

New Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel will begin his stint in charge against Borussia Monchengladbach. The 41-year-old will be tasked with rebuilding BVB in a post-Jurgen Klopp era, a difficult challenge after last season's flirt with relegation and eventual seventh-placed finish.

Must-See Matchups this Season

Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Last season's run to second means Wolfsburg will face increased scrutiny this term. Dieter Hecking's side lost just five games throughout 14-15, the same number as Bayern, but they drew five more than Pep Guardiola's side.

They will do incredibly well to secure 69 points again. In February, Wolfsburg thrashed Bayern 4-1 at the Volkswagen Arena, led by Bas Dost and Kevin De Bruyne braces. The result was symbolic of the club's end-of-season achievement and suggested they have the opportunity to become an annual force in the Bundesliga (especially after losing 6-1 at home to Bayern the year before).

Guardiola was perhaps naive the last time Bayern visited, playing Sebastian Rode at right-back and failing to protect Xabi Alonso in the middle. Once his distribution was cut off, Hecking's men moved forward with purpose, clinically finishing four of their nine shots at goal, per Soccerway. Rarely have Bayern struggled so much in a domestic match, highlighted below:

The question is: Can Wolfsburg keep their top stars? De Bruyne is currently linked with a move to Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and even Bayern, reported by Matt Law of the Telegraph.

Bayern's vacuuming of power in Germany is widely acknowledged—having grabbed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in recent years—but losing someone of this calibre could spell trouble for Wolfsburg. WhoScored.com underlined exactly why:

Newcastle United have also made contact with Dost, according to Mark Douglas of the Chronicle Live. Hecking can expect to battle interest for players such as Ricardo Rodriguez, Luis Gustavo and Ivan Perisic, who all make Wolfsburg tick. We'll see exactly what state the squad is in when Bayern visit.

Schalke vs. Borussia Dortmund (home and away)

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

If you're looking for passion and drama in the Bundesliga, look no further than the Revierderby. Both Schalke and Dortmund enter the campaign in transition, meaning this fixture is the perfect examination.

Schalke won this fixture 2-1 last season after goals from Joel Matip and Eric Maxim Choupo-Mouting. In February's reverse encounter, Dortmund stormed to a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus.

Two atmospheric encounters await. New Schalke coach Andre Breitenreiter and Tuchel will be looking to stamp their authority over the fixture in rapid time.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Dortmund's struggles have been well documented in recent times and are summed up by Klopp's departure. Schalke enter the new campaign having won just two of their last 10 Bundesliga matches, per Soccerway, with both teams missing out on the Champions League.

Victory in the derby can provide a huge step toward the promised land.