Verdict: Dortmund Draw no Bet
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: William Hill
Red-hot Borussia Dortmund will be searching for their fifth successive triumph on all fronts when they take on Real Madrid at their Signal-Iduna Park. Los Blancos have now failed to win either of their last two fixtures and arrive in Germany eager to make amends for setbacks against Villarreal and Las Palmas.
Borussia Dortmund
The Borussia Dortmund squad underwent some serious changes during close season as the likes of Hummels, Gundogan, Mkhitaryan and Blaszczykowski all left, while the club splashed out on Mario Gotze, Andre Schurrle, Marc Bartra, Ousmane Dembele, Emre Mor and Raphael Guerreiro. And while the team experienced minor problems in the opening exchanges, losing to RB Leipzig on the first day of the new Bundesliga campaign, the Millionaires have since showed incredible improvement. Borussia Dortmund went on to record four straight wins in all competitions, bagging 20 goals in the process, meaning they have every right to feel optimistic ahead of the visit of Real Madrid. Even without Germany stars Marco Reus and Andre Schurrle, Thomas Tuchel’s charges have played great football of late as summer recruits Ousmane Dembele and Emre Mor especially impressed, together with usual suspect Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. After hammering Legia Warsaw 6-0 in their Champions League opener, Borussia Dortmund can make a giant step towards the next stage by defeating Real Madrid, the team that lost on last three visits to Signal-Iduna Park.
Team News
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang faces a fitness test after picking up several knocks against Freiburg, but he is expected to start nonetheless.
Andre Schurrle could be in contention after recovering from injury, but Marc Bartra and Adrian Ramos are both rated doubtful.
Real Madrid
Having lifted the major trophy last season, Real Madrid are obviously one of the main candidates to win the Champions League title this term, but they haven’t exactly enjoyed a perfect start to the new season. Los Blancos largely struggled in their opening fixture in Europe’s elite competition, and they were incredibly fortunate to defeat Sporting Lisbon at Santiago Bernabeu as they scored two very late goals. Real Madrid have also struggled in La Liga of late, sharing spoils with both Villarreal and Las Palmas, prompting the people behind Borussia Dortmund Twitter account to make a cheeky comment about los Blancos struggling against teams wearing yellow. When we also know that Real Madrid were soundly beaten on their last three visits to Signal-Iduna Park, it is perfectly clear that the Spanish giants will be under pressure on Tuesday evening. Zinedine Zidane’s decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo against Las Palmas also caused a great deal of controversy, so chances are the dressing room atmosphere is far from perfect at the moment. Nevertheless, after suffering successive slip-ups in La Liga, the visitors can be trusted to adopt an attack-minded approach in Dortmund searching for a morale-boosting victory.
Team News
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is back to the side after recovering from injury and he could start in Dortmund, while Pepe also returns from a knee problem.
Marcelo and Casemiro remain in the treatment room, whereas Karim Benzema should be recalled to the side for the Dortmund game.
Key Factors to Consider
- Dortmund won last three home games vs Real Madrid
- Away team did not score in their last three meetings
- The two sides met six times in last four years
- Dortmund won last four fixtures, scoring 20 goals
- This will be Real’s third straight game against teams wearing yellow shirts (D2)
Conclusion
It is perfectly clear that Borussia Dortmund are in much better shape at the moment even though they are missing some important players. Real Madrid have struggled for form of late and having lost last three matches at Signal-Iduna Park, we seriously doubt they will emerge victorious on Tuesday evening.
Verdict: Dortmund Draw no Bet
Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: William Hill
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