Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin: Bundesliga Prediction (31.08.2025)

On 31 August 2025 at 17:30 CEST, the second-round Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin will take place. Bookmakers consider the hosts clear favorites. Let’s look at the current form of both teams and give our prediction.

Borussia Dortmund

Last season, Dortmund began under Nuri Şahin but quickly fell into mid-table. The turnaround came with the arrival of Niko Kovač in February: under him, the “Black and Yellows” rose to finish fourth and secured a Champions League return.

In the summer, Borussia Dortmund participated in the Club World Cup in the USA, reaching the quarterfinals before losing 2:3 to Real Madrid. That left little room for a full pre-season, so players are still regaining sharpness in competitive matches. The new season started with a German Cup win over Essen, thanks to Serhou Guirassy’s strike in the 79th minute (1:0). But in the Bundesliga opener against St. Pauli, Guirassy missed a penalty, and despite leading 3:1, Dortmund couldn’t hold on after going down to 10 men, finishing 3:3. They will now be without red-carded Filippo Mane for this fixture.

Union Berlin

Union Berlin finished 13th last season, and this year could be pivotal for coach Steffen Baumgart’s career in the capital. The squad went through a summer overhaul, playing eight friendlies: three wins, a draw, and four consecutive defeats as the opposition grew tougher.

Officially, though, they’ve started well. In the German Cup, Union beat Gütersloh 5:0, then surprised many by defeating Stuttgart 2:1 in their Bundesliga opener.

Head-to-head statistics

In their last five meetings, Borussia Dortmund hold the advantage with 4 wins to Union Berlin’s 1. Notably, their most recent clash came in February this year, ending in a crushing 6:0 home win for Dortmund.

Prediction

For Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin, we predict a closer game than the odds suggest. Union Berlin are underdogs, but we expect a competitive clash without a big scoreline difference. Suggested bet: Union Berlin +1.5 handicap at odds 1.78.