Steve McClaren will make his debut as a Bundesliga manager with the task of a trip to Bayern Munich.
Defending champions await former England boss on opening day
Steve McClaren will make his debut as a Bundesliga manager with the daunting task of a trip to defending champions Bayern Munich.
The new Wolfsburg boss left FC Twente earlier this summer after winning the Dutch top flight to partly restore some of his reputation after his humiliating spell in charge of England.
McClaren accepted the move to Germany with the apparent aim of continuing to rebuild his tattered credentials in management, but he will face a baptism of fire against Bayern at the imposing Allianz Arena on 20th August.
Bayern also landed the German Cup last season as well as reaching the UEFA Champions League final where they lost to Inter Milan, then under Jose Mourinho.
Elsewhere on the opening weekend, 2009/10 runners-up Schalke go to Hamburg while fellow Champions League qualifiers Werder Bremen visit Hoffenheim.
New-boys
Borussia Dortmund meet Bayer Leverkusen, Mainz host Stuttgart and Hannover take on Eintracht Frankfurt.
Last season's 2.Bundesliga champions Kaiserslautern face a trip to Cologne while fellow new-boys St Pauli go to Freiburg.
Nurnberg, who beat Augsburg in a play-off to retain their place in the top flight, visit Borussia Monchengladbach.
But the German season will open on 7th August with the re-introduction of the Super Cup, back after a 14-year absence, between Bayern and Schalke.
The curtain-raiser traditionally pits the champions against the cup winners, but Bayern's Double means Bundesliga runners-up Schalke get the nod.
