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Full time3–2
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Renato Veiga 53' (og)Serhou Guirassy 80' · assist Fábio SilvaSerhou Guirassy 85' (pen)
Álvaro Santiago Mouriño González 66' · assist Georges MikautadzeSerhou Guirassy 90+3' (og)
Venue Signal Iduna ParkReferee S. SozzaWatch (UK) TNT Sports / Amazon Prime Video

Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal: League phase opener at Signal Iduna Park

Dortmund host Villarreal in matchday one of the new Champions League league phase, with both sides yet to kick a ball in this season's competition.

Jon Fisher
Published
Mon 7 Sept, 11:44
Updated
Tue 8 Sept, 15:59

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This preview was written before kick-off and has not been changed. The result, tables and line-ups on this page are as they stand now.

Dortmund open their league phase campaign

Borussia Dortmund get their 2026-27 Champions League campaign under way tomorrow night against Villarreal, and Signal Iduna Park will carry the usual European atmosphere for the opening round of the league phase. Neither club has kicked a ball in this season's competition yet, so the table shows both sides level on points, goals and games played going into the tie. That blank slate is the story here. This is a first look at how Dortmund's squad and Villarreal's new-look side shape up under the expanded 36-team format, where every fixture counts individually towards a single league table rather than a group.

BET FOOTBALL
Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund
3–2
Full time
VillarrealVillarreal
Tue 8 Sept, 20:00•Signal Iduna Park

Path to this fixture for Dortmund and Villarreal

Dortmund head into the league phase with a settled, experienced squad. The group includes Serhou Guirassy up front, Jobe Bellingham and Carney Chukwuemeka in midfield, and Nico Schlotterbeck marshalling the back line, giving the head coach a strong pool to pick from for matchday one.

Villarreal make the trip to Germany with a squad built around Gerard Moreno, Ayoze Pérez and Georges Mikautadze in attack, plus Renato Veiga and Jake Foyth marshalling the defence. This fixture is the first real test of how the group has gelled going into the new campaign, with no prior Champions League form this season to draw on for either side.

Rotation risk for Dortmund and Villarreal

Under the league phase format, every fixture affects the single table used to decide qualification for the knockout play-offs, so wholesale rotation carries more risk than it did under the old group-stage system. Expect both managers to name closer to full-strength line-ups rather than treat this as a chance to blood fringe players. Dortmund's home advantage and the pressure of an opening fixture in front of their own supporters should push the hosts towards their strongest available XI.

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Last 2 meetings · most recent first
  1. 8 Sept 26Borussia Dortmund3–2VillarrealBorussia Dortmund
  2. 25 Nov 25Borussia Dortmund4–0VillarrealBorussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund wins
2
Draws
0
Villarreal wins
0
Goals · Borussia Dortmund / Villarreal
7 / 2

Line-ups

Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund3-4-2-1
  • 1GG. Kobel
  • 22DKouakou Joane Gadou
  • 3DW. Anton
  • 24DD. Svensson
  • 26MJ. Ryerson
  • 25MJ. Veerman
  • 20MM. Sabitzer
  • 14MM. Beier
  • 19MK. Karetsas
  • 8MF. Nmecha
  • 9FS. Guirassy
Manager · N. Kovač
VillarrealVillarreal4-4-2
  • 25GP. Gulácsi
  • 15DS. Mouriño
  • 6DPau Navarro
  • 12DRenato Veiga
  • 23DSergi Cardona
  • 17MT. Buchanan
  • 18MP. Gueye
  • 24MN. Saliba
  • 14MSanti Comesaña
  • 21FT. Oluwaseyi
  • 9FG. Mikautadze
Manager · Iñigo Pérez

Where to watch Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal: TV and online streams

Kick-off at Signal Iduna Park is at 20:00 BST on Tuesday 8 September 2026. UK Champions League rights are split this season between TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video, but the exact broadcaster for this fixture is not yet confirmed. The page will be updated closer to kick-off once matchday coverage is finalised. As a league phase fixture, the match is settled over 90 minutes with no extra time or penalties, points awarded as in a normal league match.

Stats for Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal

  • Both clubs sit level with zero wins, draws, losses, goals for and goals against in this season's Champions League standings, reflecting that neither side has yet featured in the competition this term.
  • This is matchday one of the newly expanded league phase format, meaning the result feeds directly into a single 36-team table rather than a smaller group.
  • Dortmund's squad list includes Serhou Guirassy as their recognised senior striker, while Villarreal can call on both Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze in attack.
Our headline tip✓ Hit

Match Result: Borussia Dortmund to win

Dortmund have home advantage at a full Signal Iduna Park for the opening league phase fixture, and their squad has more depth in the final third with Guirassy leading the line. Villarreal have quality in Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze but face a tough first assignment away from home. Expect Dortmund to edge a fairly open contest.

Our predicted scoreBorussia Dortmund 2–1 VillarrealFinal score 3–2✗ Score missed
✓ Headline tip landed
TIP 01 · Correct score✗ Miss

Correct score 2-1

A 2-1 scoreline fits a Dortmund side with home advantage and a clear focal point up front in Guirassy, against a Villarreal team capable of scoring on the counter through Mikautadze or Ayoze Pérez. It's a tight enough game that a one-goal margin is the likeliest outcome. Correct score is always a long shot at 8/1, but it lines up with our headline pick.

TIP 02 · Over 2.5 goals✓ Hit

Over 2.5 goals

Both squads carry attacking talent capable of hurting a settled back line, with Dortmund's Guirassy and Beier alongside Villarreal's Moreno and Mikautadze. An opening European fixture at home often sees the hosts commit players forward early. Over 2.5 at around Evens looks fair value given the firepower on show.

TIP 03 · Both teams to score✓ Hit

Both teams to score

Villarreal's attack, built around Gerard Moreno and Ayoze Pérez, should trouble a Dortmund defence playing its first competitive European fixture of the season. Dortmund's own front line, led by Guirassy, is more than capable of scoring against a Villarreal side away from home for the first time this term. BTTS at around 4/5 fits a game with goals in it at both ends.

TIP 04 · Anytime goalscorer✓ Hit

S. Guirassy to score

Guirassy is Dortmund's central striker and the natural focal point of their attack in a home fixture. With the hosts expected to dominate territory against a Villarreal side adjusting to a new head coach, Guirassy should get the sort of service that brings a goal. At around 11/10, backing him to score anytime is the pick of the individual markets.

TIP 05 · Double chance✓ Hit

Borussia Dortmund or the draw

Dortmund's home record in continental fixtures at Signal Iduna Park makes them hard to beat outright, even against a Villarreal side with genuine quality in Moreno and Mikautadze. Covering the draw as well as the win offers protection if the hosts are made to work hard for it. At around 3/10, it's a short price but a safe one for backing Dortmund not to lose.

Build the Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal bet

BetFootball Builder · 3 Legs✓ Hit
Borussia Dortmund to win
✓ Hit
Match result
-

The anchor leg of the builder. Home advantage and squad depth favour Dortmund in an opening league phase fixture, and the other two legs build on the assumption that they take control of the game.

Over 2.5 goals
✓ Hit
Over 2.5 goals
-

Pairs naturally with a home win rather than a narrow 1-0, given the attacking options both managers can call on. If Dortmund are to win comfortably, goals at both ends become more likely rather than less.

S. Guirassy to score
✓ Hit
Anytime goalscorer
-

Ties the builder together. If Dortmund win and the game goes over 2.5 goals, their own striker getting on the scoresheet is a logical extension rather than a separate bet on an unrelated outcome.