In a rematch of the 2023-24 Champions League final, holders Real Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's league phase encounter at the Bernabeu. It’s been nearly five months since Carlo Ancelotti’s side clinched their 15th European title, leaving Dortmund to rue missed opportunities at Wembley.
Real Madrid has always found a way to succeed in the Champions League, and last season was no different. They capitalized on Dortmund's inability to finish, scoring two second-half goals to secure victory.
However, this season has seen a slight dip in form. On matchday two, they suffered their first Champions League defeat since May 2023, losing 1-0 to Lille due to a strike from Jonathan David.
Despite that setback, Madrid started the tournament well, beating Stuttgart 3-1, but they currently sit 17th in the 36-team table far from a seeded knockout spot. Ancelotti's squad has responded well since the Lille loss, winning against Villarreal and Celta Vigo in La Liga, which temporarily put them level on points with leaders Barcelona. They face Barcelona in El Clasico this weekend.
While Madrid’s impressive 17-month unbeaten run in the Champions League is over, they haven’t lost a home match in the competition since April 2022. However, they’ve struggled to keep clean sheets, failing to do so in their last five European matches at the Bernabeu.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund, led by Nuri Sahin, is coming off an impressive performance against Celtic, where they showcased their attacking prowess. After a shaky start with an early goal from Emre Can, Dortmund responded with a hat-trick from Karim Adeyemi, alongside goals from Serhou Guirassy and Felix Nmecha, dominating the match.
With three goals in their opener against Club Brugge, Dortmund tops the table thanks to a strong goal difference, despite mixed results in the Bundesliga. They scraped a 2-1 win against St Pauli over the weekend but have lost their last two away games in the league.
Dortmund’s history at the Bernabeu hasn’t been great; they’ve visited seven times without a win, losing five and drawing twice. If they fail to secure a victory on Tuesday, they’ll set a record for the most Champions League games without a win at a single away venue.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Kylian Mbappé has fully recovered from his recent muscular issue, despite being named a reasonable suspect in an alleged rape case in Sweden, which he firmly denies. For Tuesday's game, Real Madrid will be missing only three players: Dani Carvajal (knee), David Alaba (knee), and Brahim Diaz (abductor).
With Carvajal undergoing season-ending surgery, there’s talk that Real might look to sign Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in January. For now, Lucas Vazquez will step in.
In terms of lineup changes, Ferland Mendy is likely to replace Fran Garcia on defense, and Rodrygo is also hoping to return to the starting XI, possibly taking Aurelien Tchouameni's spot after Tchouameni left Monday's training early with discomfort.
On the Dortmund side, Karim Adeyemi’s impressive hat-trick against Celtic came at a price; he suffered a serious hamstring injury at the start of the second half and won’t be back until late November.
He’ll be joined in the treatment room by Julien Duranville (thigh), Giovanni Reyna (groin), and Yan Couto (muscle). Pascal Gross and Niklas Sule are both doubtful; Gross had to be subbed off at halftime in the win over St Pauli, but both have participated in training.
If Gross can’t play, either Nmecha or rising star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens could step in. If Bynoe-Gittens scores, he’d make history as the youngest English player to score against Real Madrid in the Champions League, breaking the record set by Alan Smith at 20 years old in 2001.
POOSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Bellingham, Tchouameni, Valverde; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Sabitzer; Malen, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund learned the hard way about the consequences of missing opportunities against Real Madrid, and while they've improved in the Champions League this season beating teams like Club Brugge and Celtic—they don't quite match the quality of Los Blancos.
However, Sahin's squad has been inconsistent and vulnerable defensively, making it hard to believe that Tuesday’s game will have a different outcome. BVB’s perfect UCL record is likely to end quickly at the Bernabeu, even if the margin is just a single goal.
