The BVB have played only two games against lower tier German sides so far with head coach Niko Kovac giving every single player a chance to have a go in both.
But hereon, things get serious as Die Borussen look to find their rhythm again with many of their first-team stars who played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, slowly making their way back into the fold.
As for Cerezo Osaka, the Japanese side play for the first time since closing out their season on 6 June and it's also their only friendly game before a new campaign begins on 8 August.
But the match is special for another reason as the BVB are set to reunite with their former star Shinji Kagawa, who is currently plying his trade with Osaka.
The 37-year-old is will come up against his old side in an emotional reunion.
Key Match Details
Kick-off date: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Kick-off time: 21:00 (Japan Standard Time)
Venue: Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Osaka
Where to Watch
The game will air live on Borussia Dortmund's in-house platform BVB-TV (geo-restrictions may apply).
Probable Starting Lineups
Cerezo Osaka: Yang Han-ween; Seiya Maikuma, Kakeru Funaki, Shunta Tanaka, Ryosuke Shindo; Shinji Kagawa, Lucas Fernandes, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Satoki Uejo, Capixaba; Leo Cesar.
Borussia Dortmund: Alexander Meyer; Joane Gadou, Filippo Mane, Jan-Luca Riedl; Marwan Mirza, Enzo Duarte, Ayman Azhil, Almugera Kabar; Takato Yamamoto, Mathis Albert, Serhou Guirassy.
Head-To-Head Record
Back in 2024, Cerezo Osaka and Borussia Dortmund had met for a friendly which the Bundesliga giants won 3-2.
Karim Adeyemi struck a brace on either side of a goal from Jamie Gittens to put the BVB 3-0 up at the break.
The visitors took their feet off the pedal in the second half as Masaya Shibayama and Reiya Sakata netted once each to reduce the deficit but Osaka fell short of finding the elusive equalizer.
Match Prediction
Borussia Dortmund have a point to prove here after their shock loss at the hands of Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday as another loss could set the alarm bells ringing. But in keeping the pre-season tradition, Niko Kovac may once again rotate his side heavily to give everyone a chance.
Osaka will be gunning for a revenge of their 2024 defeat and could come flying out of the blocks here, perhaps even snatching a shock lead. But expect the BVB to fight back in the second half with a pulsating contest ultimately ending in a high-scoring stalemate.
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