Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal - prediction, team news, lineups

Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund will kick off their 2026-27 Champions League campaign on Tuesday, when they welcome La Liga's Villarreal to Signal Iduna Park for their first league-phase clash.

BVB could make it four wins on the bounce in midweek, while the Yellow Submarine are looking for their first victory of the season.

Match preview

Niko Kovac's Dortmund come into this showdown in excellent form, and anything other than triumph will be seen as a failure for the Black and Yellow.

Following their 2-1 beating by Der Klassiker rivals Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup, BVB have recorded three consecutive wins, including a 3-2 success over Hoffenheim on Saturday.

That strong start to the season will fill Kovac's side with confidence, as they set out on their continental journey, hoping to better their finish in the Champions League's knockout round playoffs in 2025-26.

Dortmund will also be buoyed by facing a familiar opponent on Tuesday, recalling memories of thrashing Villarreal 4-0 in November 2025 on their way to progressing from last term's league phase.

Six of the starting XI from that day have made the predicted lineup for this clash at Signal Iduna Park, where the hosts have won three of their last four competitive outings, scoring 10 goals and keeping two clean sheets in the process.

Meanwhile, Villarreal replaced Marcelino with Inigo Perez in the summer, and the new manager is set to face another stern test during what has been a difficult start to life in the La Liga side's dugout.

The Yellow Submarine have failed to win any of their four matches so far this season, kicking off with back-to-back draws before losing each of their last two fixtures.

Most recently, Perez's men were beaten 3-2 by Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish top flight, a result made more concerning by the fact the club surrendered the lead Nicolas Pepe had earned them with just 19 minutes on the clock.

Turning their attention to Tuesday's clash, Villarreal fans will be fearing the worst considering that Dortmund will arguably represent the team's toughest opponent of 2026-27 to date.

Additionally, given that the Yellow Submarine are also set to face Napoli, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, walking away empty handed in midweek will make it exceedingly challenging to improve on their 35th-place finish from last season's league phase.

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

Villarreal form (all competitions):

Team News

Dortmund have an extensive list of absentees to contend with for their Champions League opener, especially in defence, where they are missing centre-backs Ramy Bensebaini (suspension), Nico Schlotterbeck (ankle and suspension), and Emre Can (ACL), while Filippo Mane (muscle) is a doubt.

With that in mind, Kovac could opt for a three-man defence featuring Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and the versatile Daniel Svensson, flanking the trio with Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier at wing-back.

BVB are also lighter in midfield than ideal, given that all three of Justin Lerma (muscle), Giannis Konstantelias (ACL), and 17-year-old Mussa Kaba are sidelined through injury.

However, Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha should be on hand to start in the centre of the park, just behind the more attack-minded Konstantinos Karetsas and Marcel Sabitzer.

As for Villarreal, they are missing talismanic centre-back Juan Foyth due to a muscle injury, though manager Perez has indicated that the defender will not be out for long, and that he 'is progressing well'.

While the 28-year-old recovers, Logan Costa and Renato Veiga may operate at the heart of the visitors' backline, with Santiago Mourino and Carlos Romero either side as full-backs.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Svensson; Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Beier; Karetsas, Sabitzer; Guirassy

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Junior; Mourino, Costa, Veiga, Romero; Pepe, Gueye, Comesana, Buchanan; Mikautadze, Moreno

We say: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Villarreal

Dortmund head into this game full of confidence after recording three wins on the bounce prior, not to mention their emphatic 4-0 triumph over Villarreal back in November.

By contrast, the Yellow Submarine have endured a difficult opening to the campaign, and are likely to extend their winless start to five matches.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.