8th September BORUSSIA DORTMUND - VILLARREAL
- Tue 20:00
Borussia Dortmund Vs Villarreal
- Take Place: Signal Iduna Park ( 81,365 )
- Predicted Score: Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Villarreal
Confirmed Lineups
( 3-4-2-1 ) Borussia Dortmund
Villarreal ( 4-4-2 )
- Kobel
- Gadou
- Anton
- Svensson
- Ryerson
- Veerman
- Sabitzer
- Beier
- Karetsas
- Nmecha
- Guirassy
- Gulacsi
- Mourino
- Navarro
- Veiga
- Cardona
- Comesana
- Saliba
- Gueye
- Buchanan
- Oluwaseyi
- Mikautadze
Coach: Niko Kovac
Substitutes: 41. Mathis Albert, 36. Kaua Prates, 17. Carney Chukwuemeka, 21. Fabio Silva, 49. Luca Reggiani, 18. Ethan Nwaneri, 33. Alexander Meyer, 7. Jobe Bellingham, 40. Samuele Inacio, 30. Patrick Drewes
Coach: Inigo Perez
Substitutes: 22. Ayoze Perez, 10. Alberto Moleiro, 5. Alassane Diatta, 3. Alex Freeman, 2. Logan Costa, 11. Ilias Akhomach, 16. Carlos Macia, 1. Luiz Junior, 19. Nicolas Pepe, 7. Gerard Moreno, 13. Ruben Gomez
- Player Index: how much of this team's football each player accounts for, out of 10. It measures involvement and cover, not performance.
Match Officials
- Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)
- Assistant: Davide Imperiale (Italy)
- Assistant: Giovanni Baccini (Italy)
- Fourth Official: Andrea Colombo (Italy)
- VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
Injuries and Suspensions
Borussia DortmundVsVillarreal
| Player | Status |
| Emre Can | Out - injured |
| Giannis Konstantelias | Out - injured |
| Justin Lerma | Out - injured |
| Ramy Bensebaini | Out - injured |
| Nico Schlotterbeck | Out - injured |
| Mussa Kaba | Out - injured |
| Enzo dos Santos | Out - injured |
| Samuele Inácio | Out - injured |
| Player | Status |
Team News
Niko Kovač has a lengthy absentee list, with Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias, Justin Lerma, Ramy Bensebaini, Nico Schlotterbeck, Mussa Kaba, Enzo dos Santos and Samuele Inácio unavailable. Konstantelias’ cruciate ligament injury also prompted the loan arrival of Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal.
Gregor Kobel should continue in goal behind a back three of Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and Filippo Mané. The absences of Schlotterbeck and Bensebaini reduce Dortmund’s defensive options, putting greater responsibility on Anton to organise a reshaped unit.
In midfield, Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson should provide the width, with Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha operating centrally. Konstantinos Karetsas and Maximilian Beier are expected to play behind Guirassy, giving Dortmund considerable mobility between the lines.
Guirassy remains the key figure. Across the last two Champions League campaigns, he has been directly involved in 24 goals in 24 appearances, scoring 17 and assisting seven, with only Harry Kane and Raphinha producing more goal contributions over the same period.
Iñigo Pérez has a fully available squad, giving Villarreal some welcome stability as they attempt to improve on last season’s difficult European campaign. Luiz Júnior should start in goal behind Alex Freeman, Logan Costa, Renato Veiga and Sergi Cardona.
Nathan Saliba and Pape Gueye are expected to form the central midfield pairing, with Pépé and Alberto Moleiro providing width. Their ability to carry Villarreal forward in transition will be important given how difficult it is to dominate possession for long periods in Dortmund.
Pépé’s underlying numbers suggest he remains capable of becoming more decisive. He had 19 shots without scoring in last season’s Champions League, the highest xG total among players who failed to find the net, and will be looking for greater efficiency this time around.
Ayoze Pérez and Gerard Moreno should lead the line, but Villarreal’s broader Champions League attacking record remains a concern. They failed to score in each of their last five away matches in the competition and managed only five goals throughout last season’s league phase.
Game Analysis
Borussia Dortmund team news: Niko Kovač has a lengthy absentee list, with Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias, Justin Lerma, Ramy Bensebaini, Nico Schlotterbeck, Mussa Kaba, Enzo dos Santos and Samuele Inácio unavailable. Konstantelias’ cruciate ligament injury also prompted the loan arrival of Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal.
Borussia Dortmund team news: Gregor Kobel should continue in goal behind a back three of Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and Filippo Mané. The absences of Schlotterbeck and Bensebaini reduce Dortmund’s defensive options, putting greater responsibility on Anton to organise a reshaped unit.
Villarreal team news: Iñigo Pérez has a fully available squad, giving Villarreal some welcome stability as they attempt to improve on last season’s difficult European campaign. Luiz Júnior should start in goal behind Alex Freeman, Logan Costa, Renato Veiga and Sergi Cardona.
Villarreal team news: Nathan Saliba and Pape Gueye are expected to form the central midfield pairing, with Pépé and Alberto Moleiro providing width. Their ability to carry Villarreal forward in transition will be important given how difficult it is to dominate possession for long periods in Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund are without 8 — Emre Can (Out - injured), Giannis Konstantelias (Out - injured), Justin Lerma (Out - injured), Ramy Bensebaini (Out - injured), Nico Schlotterbeck (Out - injured), Mussa Kaba (Out - injured).
Confirmed lineups are in: Borussia Dortmund set up 3-4-2-1 against 4-4-2. See the pitch graphic above for the full XI.
Borussia Dortmund lean hardest on Gregor Kobel (9.5), Serhou Guirassy (9.0), Waldemar Anton (9.0) on our Player Index — how much of the side's football each man accounts for, out of 10. It measures involvement and cover, not performance.
Giannis Konstantelias is out for Borussia Dortmund — index 5.4, against 6.2 for the best cover we hold at his position. Well covered.
Played at Signal Iduna Park, capacity 81,365. Simone Sozza takes charge.
The projected score for this one is Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Villarreal, a home win by 2 with 2 goals in it — short of the 2.5 line.
This analysis is generated automatically from BTFNews odds, market and statistical data at 22:30 on 9th September 2026. It is information, not advice — always check team news before the off.