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.
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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.
Borussia Dortmund
VillarrealPath 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.
Borussia DortmundVillarreal
Line-ups
Borussia 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
Villarreal4-4-2- 25GP. Gulácsi
- 15DS. Mouriño
- 6DPau Navarro
- 12DRenato Veiga
- 23DSergi Cardona
- 17MT. Buchanan
- 18MP. Gueye
- 24MN. Saliba
- 14MSanti Comesaña
- 21FT. Oluwaseyi
- 9FG. Mikautadze
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.