Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Sevilla - prediction, team

Borussia Dortmund will be looking to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they host Sevilla in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night.

The German giants recorded a 3-2 victory over the Europa League holders in the first leg last month and are therefore the favourites to advance to the final eight of the competition.

Match preview

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Dortmund fell behind to Sevilla in the first leg at Estadio Ramon, but Mahmoud Dahoud levelled the scores in the 19th minute before Erling Braut Haaland netted twice before the interval to make it 3-1.

Sevilla scored a second late on through Luuk de Jong to hand themselves a chance ahead of the second leg, but BVB will fancy their chances of finishing the job inside their own stadium to make the quarter-finals.

Dortmund picked up 13 points from their six Group F matches to top their section, and they have actually won nine of their last 14 European matches during an impressive run of form.

Last season, the Bundesliga giants reached the round of 16, losing to eventual finalists Paris Saint-Germain, and they have not progressed to the quarter-finals since the 2016-17 campaign, where they were beaten by Ligue 1 side Monaco.

Edin Terzic 's side will enter Tuesday's clash off the back of a 4-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, which has left them down in sixth position in the table, four points off the top four.

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Sevilla are far from out of the last-16 tie, but they not enter this contest in the best of form, having lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, including a shock 2-1 loss at Elche in La Liga on Saturday.

Julen Lopetegui 's side are now only six points clear of fifth-placed Real Sociedad in Spain's top flight, while they lost 3-0 to Barcelona in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on March 3 to suffer a 3-2 aggregate defeat.

Sevilla are only actually in their sixth Champions League campaign, but they made the quarter-finals in 2017-18, while the Spanish outfit are the most successful team in the history of the UEFA Cup/Europa League, winning the European competition on six occasions, including last term.

Lopetegui's team impressed in the group stages this season, picking up 13 points to finish second behind Chelsea in Group E, while they have lost just six of their 24 games against German opposition in European competition, which will hand them confidence heading into this game.

Los Nervionenses also recorded a 1-0 victory when they last travelled to Dortmund during the group stages of the 2010-11 Europa League, although the same scoreline on Tuesday would see them lose on away goals.

Borussia Dortmund Champions League form:

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W

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D

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Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

D

W

W

W

W

L

Sevilla Champions League form:

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W

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L

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L

Sevilla form (all competitions):

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L

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L

L

L

Team News

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Dortmund will again be without the services of Axel Witsel and Marcel Schmelzer, while Manuel Akanji is unlikely to be available due to a hamstring problem.

The home side are also sweating over the fitness of Giovanni Reyna, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Guerreiro, who were all unavailable against Bayern on Saturday due to injuries.

There is a chance that all three could be available for this match, though, while Haaland, who has now scored 29 goals in 28 appearances this season following his double against Bayern, will be fit to lead the line despite limping off the field on Saturday following a heavy kick.

As for Sevilla, Aleix Vidal is missing with a hamstring problem, but Jules Kounde and Yassine Bounou should recover from the minor problems that led to them missing out against Elche.

Lopetegui is expected to ring the changes from Saturday's league contest, with Fernando, Diego Carlos, Suso, Joan Jordan and Marcos Acuna all expected to be in the starting side.

There will also be a return at the tip of the attack for Youssef En-Nesyri, with fit-again Lucas Ocampos expected to feature in the starting side despite a recent spell on the sidelines through injury.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Hitz; Morey, Can, Hummels, Guerreiro; Delaney, Bellingham, Dahoud; Reus, Sancho; Haaland

Sevilla possible starting lineup:

Bounou; Navas, Kounde, Carlos, Acuna; Jordan, Fernando, Rakitic; Suso, En-Nesyri, Ocampos

We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Sevilla

Sevilla are certainly more than capable of turning the tie around, but it is very difficult to back the Spanish outfit considering their recent form. Dortmund will also enter this game off the back of a defeat, but we are expecting the Bundesliga side to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Top tip

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