Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund: UEFA Champions League ...
The in-form Serhou Guirassy leads Borussia Dortmund to a repeat of last season's UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. - © DFL/GettyImages/Christian Kaspar-Bartke
The in-form Serhou Guirassy leads Borussia Dortmund to a repeat of last season's UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. - © DFL/GettyImages/Christian Kaspar-Bartke
A repeat of last year's UEFA Champions League final pits Borussia Dortmund and the red-hot Serhou Guirassy against reigning European champions Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham, their England international made in the Bundesliga on Tuesday (kick-off 9pm CEST).
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Dortmund make the trip to the Spanish capital having extended their Friday night winning streak at Signal Iduna Park, where Guirassy's late goal earned a 2-1 win over St. Pauli. Guirassy has now scored 12 times in his last eight matches for club and country, including three in two across Dortmund's perfect start in the UEFA Champions League. Defeated by Real in last year's final, Dortmund have catapulted themselves to the top of the new-look league table where they are, alongside domestic rivals Bayer Leverkusen, one of seven teams who boast a 100 percent record after two matchdays. There are no new injury concerns for coach Nuri Şahin to worry about, with Niklas Süle likely to be available once more after missing out through illness against Pauli. Emre Can started that win alongside Pascal Groß in midfield with Marcel Sabitzer in a more advanced role. Jamie Gittens - the supplier of Guirassy's winner from the bench - is also pushing for another start. Otherwise, there is little reason for Şahin to change a winning formula.
The visitors will benefit from an extra day's rest, after Real beat Celta Vigo 2-1 on Saturday evening, leaving them second in LaLiga after 10 matches. The reigning Champions League holders beat VfB Stuttgart on home soil in the opening match of their European defence, but a 1-0 defeat to French side Lille on Matchday 2 left Carlo Ancelotti's side stunned. The former Bayern Munich boss will be looking to ex-Dortmund star Bellingham to instigate a response as the England international goes in search of his first club goal of the season. France superstar Kylian Mbappé forms part of a deadly-looking attack alongside the Brazialian duo of Vinícius Jr. - who scored in last year's final - and Rodrygo but, further back, Real are without two familiar faces. Bayern old boy David Alaba is still sidelined with the injury that denied him that showdown with his former Klassiker rivals at Wembley, while Dani Carvajal - who scored the opening goal that night and previously played for Leverkusen - is also missing. Germany international Antonio Rüdiger, a former Dortmund academy player, will be required to step up in the absence of the experienced duo when he goes up against Guirassy in what looks a key battle.
Watch: Guirassy strikes again for Dortmund
Match stats
Victory here would see Dortmund start a Champions League campaign with three consecutive victories for the first time since 2018/19. Dortmund have lost just two of their past 14 matches in this competition. They are also unbeaten in their previous seven group/league phase outings. Şahin made 10 appearances for Madrid as a player during the 2011/12 season. Bellingham made 132 appearances for Dortmund between 2020 and 2023. He is one of five Madrid players to have previously played in Germany alongside Alaba, Carvajal, Rüdiger and Jesús Vallejo. Dortmund have already scored 10 goals in this season's Champions League, more than any other club, while only Harry Kane (four) has scored more than Karim Adeyemi and Guirassy's three apiece.Probable teams
Dortmund: Kobel - Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Anton, Bensebaini - Can (c), Groß - Sabitzer, Brandt, Malen - GuirassyOut: Adeyemi (hamstring), Couto (muscle), Duranville (thigh), Reyna (groin)Doubtful: - Coach: Nuri Şahin
Real Madrid: Courtois - Vázquez, Rüdiger, Militão, Mendy - Valverde (c), Tchoauméni, Bellingham - Rodrygo, Mbappé, ViníciusOut: Alaba (cruciate ligament), Carvajal (cruciate ligament), Ceballos (ankle), Díaz (thigh)Doubtful: -Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
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Dortmund made it three wins in a row with victory over newly promoted St. Pauli.
Despite their impressive form in Europe, Dortmund have been less convincing in the Bundesliga. They have won four, drawn one and lost two of their opening seven games.
The two teams from last season's Champions League final meet again, this time much earlier in the competition. Dortmund have won their opening two games against Club Brugge and Celtic, scoring ten goals in the process, while Real have won one and lost one, falling to a 1-0 defeat against Lille in their previous fixture.
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Former Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has hit the ground running after his summer move to Dortmund - he has six goals and one assist in six appearances in all competitions - and his proven game-changing abilities could come in clutch for the BVB in Madrid this week.
Dortmund head into this heavyweight clash sitting atop the league phase standings with a perfect record of two wins from two matches with a whopping goal difference of +9 following their 3-0 Matchday 1 win in Bruges and their 7-1 thumping of Celtic on Matchday 2. Meanwhile Real sit in 17th following their 3-1 win over Stuttgart and shock 1-0 loss in Lille last time out.
© IMAGO/kolbert-press/Marc Niemeyer
Just over four months after the two sides met in the Champions League final - which saw a desperately unlucky Dortmund side fall 2-0 to the Spanish giants at Wembley - they are all set to do it again as Matchday 3 action heads to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday.
© IMAGO/Ulrich Hufnagel
Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of Borussia Dortmund's third UEFA Champions League game of the 2024/25 league phase away at holders Real Madrid on Tuesday.
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