Borussia Dortmund are currently in Japan for their pre-season tour as Niko Kovac's side play Cerezo Osaka on Wednesday, 29 July.
It will be followed by another fixture against a J1 League side FC Tokyo on 1 August.
The stakes are set to get higher from now on as Die Borussen had only played teams from lower tier of German football in their previous two friendlies.
Here are some of the questions that must be answered by the time the side returns from Japan:
1) What is Kovac's preferred starting lineup?
So far, the Croatian has rotated his squad heavily in both their friendlies and that was expected too with many of their World Cup stars absent. But with the new Bundesliga campaign just a month away, Kovac will be expected to lock-in on his starting XI soon.
2) Is Mathis Albert the internal Julian Brandt replacement?
While Borussia Dortmund continue to look out for a new talisman in the attacking midfield position, they already seem to have an internal replacement in Mathis Albert. The teenage American has started in both their pre-season games, even scoring in the second one, and continues to grow in influence on the side.
3) Can the BVB find a solution to defensive collapses?
Borussia Dortmund might have had the meanest defense in the Bundesliga last season, but they were still prone to conceding in the most inopportune times. Their second-half collapse against Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday showed it's still an issue. Head coach Niko Kovac has a massive task of addressing this during the Japan tour.
4) Which reserve players will make the senior team next season?
The Japan tour might be the last chance for many of the young guns to prove their mettle and perhaps make a case for breaking into the senior team during the 2026-27 season. Because after this, the BVB will only have two big friendlies against Arsenal and AS Roma before the season-opener against Bayern Munich in the German Supercup.
With the World Cup stars also set to return next month, Kovac would be giving them a chance to reintegrate into the side as the reserve stars may have their gametime curtailed. It's now or never.
5) Is Dortmund ready to compete for silverware?
While it could still be too early to say anything, but by the end of the Japan tour, it will be clear if the BVB is ready to compete for trophies next season. It's already five years since they last won a silverware and the pressure is on Kovac to end the drought in their upcoming campaign after seeing his first full-season fizzle out after such a promising start.
Borussia Dortmund are currently in Japan for their pre-season tour as Niko Kovac's side play Cerezo Osaka on Wednesday, 29 July.
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