Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Bruggevs.Dortmund

sportsmole.co.uk, 16 September 2024, 12:05
Runners-up last season, Borussia Dortmund begin their latest quest to reclaim the Champions League trophy on Wednesday, when they visit Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium.

While BVB came agonisingly close to European glory last term, Brugge missed out on qualification and now eagerly anticipate the competition's new-look league phase.

Match preview

Although they ultimately fell just short at Wembley, memorable wins in Newcastle, Milan and Paris took Borussia Dortmund all the way to a third Champions League final last season, with only mighty Real Madrid stopping them from celebrating a surprise success in London.

Under boyhood BVB fan Edin Terzic, they finished first in the so-called 'group of death', before beating PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid to tee up a second meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

Although they turned heads in Europe, Dortmund could only finish fifth in the Bundesliga, some 27 points behind unbeaten champions Bayer Leverkusen - the club's worst domestic performance since 2015.

However, partly thanks their own Champions League run boosting Germany's UEFA coefficient and earning five automatic places, they are now back in the tournament for a ninth successive season.

All but two of their last 11 campaigns have seen Die Schwarzgelben feature in the knockout rounds, so that will be their minimum aim under new boss Nuri Sahin, who replaced Terzic as head coach in the summer.

Aged just 36, the former midfielder will be the youngest coach involved in this year's Champions League, and he comes into Wednesday's opener with an unbeaten record: BVB have posted two wins and one draw from Sahin's first three games following Friday's 4-2 win over Heidenheim, in which Karim Adeyemi scored twice.

Dortmund will meet familiar opponents in the first of eight league-phase fixtures, as it is the third time they have been paired with Club Brugge in the last seven seasons.

So far, the ledger stands at four wins and one loss from six previous meetings, and the German side have won each of their last four games in Belgium without conceding a single goal.

While the Champions League's format is changing, Brugge join Dortmund in being part of the furniture in Europe's top club competition: they are featuring at this stage for the sixth time in seven seasons.

The Blauw-Zwart missed out last term, though, just one year after finally reaching the knockout phase, where they were thumped by Benfica in the last 16.

Their reward for winning the Belgian Pro League last season was a tough draw this time around, as AC Milan and Manchester City are also among their upcoming opponents.

With eight points estimated to be sufficient for a place in the playoffs, there is everything to play for, particularly after enjoying a deep run through UEFA's third-tier competition in 2023-24.

In the Europa Conference League, Club Brugge came through through three qualifiers and then won five of six group games, before seeing off Molde and PAOK in the knockout rounds; however, Fiorentina then won by the odd goal in seven over the course of a close-fought semi-final tie.

Brugge were unbeaten at home in Europe last season, and strong form at Jan Breydel Stadium also helped them become champions of Belgium for the 19th time, securing a fourth league title in five years.

After leading them to top spot, Nicky Hayen's interim role was made permanent during the summer, and his team are currently top of the table again, having won four of their first seven matches - including at Kortrijk last week, when Hans Vanaken scored twice in a 3-0 success.

Club Brugge form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

W

W

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

L

W

W

W

D

W

Team News

After summer signing Serhou Guirassy made his first Borussia Dortmund start last time out, having recovered from a knee injury sustained while on international duty, the Guinea striker will vie with Maximilian Beier to feature up front in midweek.

It has been a scintillating start to September for another BVB forward, Karim Adeyemi, who not only scored five goals in two games for Germany Under-21s but then bagged a Bundesliga brace on Friday evening.

Brazilian wide man Yan Couto was forced to withdraw from the Brazil squad due to injury but returned as a substitute against Heidenheim; however; USA star Gio Reyna could miss out again because of a groin problem.

Meanwhile, Kyriani Sabbe is back from injury for Club Brugge, but Bjorn Meijer and Casper Nielsen are still on the sidelines.

Danish winger Andreas Skov Olsen is the hosts' top scorer this season on three goals, while teenager Chemsdine Talbi has broken into the squad and scored as a substitute at the weekend.

Captain Hans Vanaken - the Blau-Zwart's top appearance maker in the Champions League (38) - was directly involved in seven goals during their run to last term's Conference League semi-finals, scoring six of his own and providing one assist.

Club Brugge possible starting lineup:

Mignolet; Seys, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Vetlesen; Skov Olsen, Vanaken, Tzolis; Nilsson

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Sule, Bensebaini; Can, Gross; Sabitzer, Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy

We say: Club Brugge 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund kept the most clean sheets in last season's Champions League (six), but Club Brugge have scored freely this term and have a potent front line with which to test their visitors.

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea star Cole Palmer will be bidding to add to an incredible Premier League record when he lines up against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League is back and that can only mean one thing. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City are confident of agreeing a lucrative new contract with Erling Haaland after Pep Guardiola agreed to stay, talkSPORT understands. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Osasuna before the international break when they resume their domestic campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a mixed injury update ahead of the Reds' imminent showdowns with Southampton in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The January transfer window is an opportunity for teams to fix their summer spending on the cheap, or in these cases, for free. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah is one of the world's best players and he has become one of the top five Liverpool goalscorers ever. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Phil Foden is a superstar for Manchester City, but he still opts to wear an unconventional number at his boyhood club. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest instalment of the Basque derby will take place at San Mames on Sunday night, with Athletic Bilbao welcoming rivals Real Sociedad for what should be a highly-charged affair. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be looking to extend a Premier League feat when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Having entered the international break with a run of three straight defeats, both Torino and Monza will try to stop the rot on Sunday, when they lock horns in Turin. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Third kits in the Premier League have caught the eye this season and you will certainly notice a unique difference from typical strips… 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon is their "biggest game of the season" so far, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sevilla will attempt to bounce back from successive defeats in La Liga when they continue their campaign with a fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will endeavour to maintain or increase their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they pit their wits against Southampton on Sunday at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com There can't be many things better for a football fan than to see your side score within the first minute of a game. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fifth will welcome fourth in an intriguing La Liga contest on Sunday afternoon, with Villarreal making the trip to El Sadar Stadium to tackle Osasuna. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jose Mourinho once confirmed he received an offer from the FA to become England manager after leaving his first spell as Chelsea boss. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle have the chance to close in on the Premier League's top four on Monday when they host West Ham, live on talkSPORT. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Separated by 19 places and 24 points in the Premier League table, Southampton and Liverpool cross paths in Sunday's Premier League showdown at St Mary's Stadium. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is expecting to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for Sunday's Premier League bout with Southampton at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to make it successive victories in La Liga when they resume their campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League has been treated to the talents of some of the best African footballers of all time over the years. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton head coach Russell Martin will be forced into at least two changes for Sunday's Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City face another legal dispute with the Premier League after amendments to top-flight sponsorship rules were voted through. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to continue their sensational unbeaten streak, Lille will welcome a struggling Rennes outfit to Decathlon Arena on Sunday afternoon for a Ligue 1 clash. 22 November 2024 talksport.com If Micah Richards had a glimmer of hope he would replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host, he is sorely mistaken. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pedro Porro's agent is reportedly 'convinced' that Ruben Amorim will attempt to bring the Tottenham Hotspur defender to Manchester United following his arrival at Old Trafford.