Predicting Thomas Tuchel's Opening Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga XI

Borussia Dortmund kick off the coming Bundesliga season this weekend with the visit of Borussia Moenchengladbach to the Westfalenstadion. 

Saturday's clash with Lucien Favre's stubborn Foals is the clash of the opening weekend, as new manager Thomas Tuchel and his revitalised side are immediately thrown in the deep end against a strong side who comfortably finished in the top four last season. 

Yet fans of the former German champions will be quietly optimistic and have faith in their new manager. It's been a bright summer under their new manager, and if Tuchel's side can play half as well as they have done already this season, Gladbach will have a fierce contest on their hands. 

Here's how the home side may well line up on Saturday.

The Formation

Shuji Kajiyama/Associated Press

Tuchel has arrived in Dortmund with something of a reputation preceding him. Sure, the young German manager did a fine job at Mainz before taking a year-long sabbatical, but what really excites fans about the new manager is his way around a tactics board. 

Over the course of the summer months, we've seen Tuchel waste little time shaking things up with this squad, playing variations of a 4-3-3 and a 4-1-4-1 formation while trying different players in new positions. Not unlike his counterpart at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola, this new coach enjoys experimenting on the field. 

However, in the competitive games we've seen thus far, it looks as though Dortmund will stick with the usual 4-2-3-1 for the time being. At least until Tuchel has had more time to hone in on his new system and tactics. 

Defence

Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

We can assume at this point that new goalkeeper Roman Burki will almost certainly get the nod ahead of Roman Weidenfeller between the sticks on Saturday, yet elsewhere across the defence the old, regular faces should return. 

Mats Hummels and Sokratis Papastathopoulos should keep their place as the partnership-of-choice at the centre of Tuchel's defence, while Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek take up their usual positions on the left and right flanks respectively. 

Midfield

PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

Through Tuchel's constant shifting and changing of formations this summer, there has been a number of midfield combinations that have offered food for thought to the horde of hopeful BVB fans. 

What has perhaps provided the most solace to fans is the manner in which Tuchel has very quickly brought out the best in Ilkay Gundogan at the centre of the park, while also integrating new signing Julian Wiegl in a matter of weeks.

Add to that a rejuvenated Shinji Kagawa, who just can't stop setting up and scoring goals, and you have three players who, through one reason or another, weren't available to Dortmund's failing side of last season. 

Although the likes of Matthias Ginter and Sven Bender are currently available it would seem likely that the aforementioned trio should get the nod against Gladbach.

Weigl, who should find his game time limited once Nuri Sahin returns from injury, is inexperienced but talented. Tuchel is a man who enjoys risks, and throwing the youngster in ahead of the less technical Bender is exactly something he'd do. 

Attack

PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

Unlike the past few seasons at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund are notably flush with options when it comes to varying combinations between its attacking three players.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang demands the lone striker role when fit and able to score, and Marco Reus is a must on the left wing when in a similar state to play, but there are no fewer than six players who could take up the remaining role on the right wing. 

Amid a strong group of players, it seems as though Tuchel has warmed to Henrikh Mkhitaryan over the summer months, who has repaid such loyalty with a run of form Dortmund fans haven't really seen of the Armenian since he arrived in Germany. 

Mkhitaryan has four goals and three assists in just three games for Dortmund so far this season (according to Transfermarkt), and if he can keep that up, this front line very quickly begins to pick itself each week.