Borussia Dortmund vs SV Elversberg Preview: Team News & Prediction

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Borussia Dortmund are back in Bundesliga action and trying to overtake Bayern Munich, while SV Elversberg are trying to break into the top six.

Kick-off date/time: 7 November 2026 at 2:30 pm

How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – ESPN

How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – ESPN+

Borussia Dortmund preview: Still unbeaten

Eight games into the season and Borussia Dortmund remain unbeaten. Niko Kovac’s side sit below Bayern Munich only on goal difference, having collected 18 points from a possible 24 with five wins and three draws.

There is slight cause for concern, as three of their last four league matches have ended level. That said, the most recent of those draws will have felt like a win. Dortmund travelled to the Allianz Arena for Der Klassiker and came away with a hugely creditable 2-2 scoreline against the reigning champions after coming from behind twice. 

SV Elversberg preview: Fourth win

Elversberg have won half of their Bundesliga fixtures so far, a remarkable return for a newly promoted club and a testament to the incredible season they are having. Only goal difference keeps Vincent Wagner's side outside the top six, after two wins from their last three league outings.

Both of those victories came at home, and on each occasion Elversberg scored four goals. Sandwiched in between, however, was a 4-0 thrashing away at RB Leipzig, which showed the gulf that can still exist on their travels.

Borussia Dortmund team news: Thigh strain KO’s Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund will be forced to cope without star striker Serhou Guirassy, who is out following a thigh injury suffered against Real Betis in midweek.

Predicted XI (3-4-3): Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Schlotterbeck; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Beier; Karetsas, Silva, Chukwuemeka

Unavailable: Can (Injured), Guirassy (Injured), Konstantelias (Injured), Lerma (Injured)

Questionable: 

SV Elversberg team news: Trio out but Darvich hope

SV Elversberg will hope to have Darvich available at Signal Iduna but are expected to be without Gyamerah, Seifert and Zimmerschied.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kristof; Sirch, Pinckert, Rohr, Gunther; Keidel, Poreba; Petkov, Onyeka, Krattenmacher; Mokwa

Unavailable: Gyamerah (Injured), Seifert (Injured), Zimmerschied (Injured)

Questionable: Darvich (Injured)

Key stats

• This is the first Bundesliga meeting between Dortmund and Elversberg, who are playing their first Bundesliga season.
• Dortmund are second on goal difference behind Bayern with 18 points coming into Matchweek 9, and the two are the only unbeaten teams in the Bundesliga (Dortmund W5 D3).
• It is only the fourth time in 32 Bundesliga seasons since 1995/96 that Dortmund are unbeaten after eight games (also 2002/03, 2018/19 and 2023/24).
• Dortmund are unbeaten in ten Bundesliga games (W7 D3) since a 0-1 defeat at Gladbach on 3 May 2026, and drew 2-2 at Bayern last time out.
• Dortmund have conceded only six goals this season, the fewest in the division, and their five clean sheets are the joint-most (with Leipzig).
• At home, Dortmund are unbeaten in six (W5 D1) since losing 0-1 to Leverkusen on 11 April 2026, and have kept three clean sheets in four home games this season (W3 D1, 8-2 on aggregate).
• Dortmund have lost only nine of their 77 home Bundesliga games against promoted sides since 1996/97 (W50 D18) and have won the last six, most recently 3-0 vs Paderborn on 12 September.
• Dortmund have won 211 of their 333 home Bundesliga games on a Saturday since 1995/96 (D65 L57).
• Elversberg are seventh with 13 points coming into Matchweek 9 – the highest-placed of the three promoted sides, with Paderborn 14th and Schalke 17th.
• Elversberg have won three of their four home games (L1), but have one win in four away (D1 L2) and have failed to score in their last three away games (0-0 at Schalke, 0-1 at Union Berlin and 0-4 at Leipzig).
• Elversberg have conceded in each of their last four games, and come into this one off a 4-1 home win over Mainz on 30 October.
• Elversberg's matches have averaged 4.00 goals this season (16-16 on aggregate), compared with 2.50 in Dortmund games – the third-lowest in the division.
• Dortmund are unbeaten in all ten of their Bundesliga home games refereed by Harm Osmers since 2016/17 (W9 D1) and have won their last three games with him in charge, most recently 3-0 vs Paderborn in September.
• Elversberg have not had Osmers as referee in the Bundesliga before.

‘Key stats’ are Bundesliga only (not all competitions)

Borussia Dortmund vs SV Elversberg prediction

There are a couple of question marks over Borussia Dortmund heading into this match. How will Kovac's side cope physically, just a few days after a tough Champions League fixture? On top of that, how will they cope without arguably their best player in Guirassy? Attacking players such as Fabio Silva and Konstantinos Karetsas will need to step up in his absence.

However, Elversberg have proven vulnerable defensively when facing the Bundesliga's elite. RB Leipzig put four past them, Bayer Leverkusen scored three and Bayern Munich found the net twice. With Guirassy missing, this is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair, but Dortmund are worth backing to edge out their newly promoted opponents.

Borussia Dortmund vs SV Elversberg tip: Borussia Dortmund to win and under 3.5 goals