Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Preview

Less than four months after meeting in the Champions League final, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will square up again in the third game of the expanded Champions League season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win over Dortmund to win their 15th Champions League crown during their meeting in June. The Spanish giants are among the favourites to win this season’s title but they have started rather poorly by their high standards.

Los Blancos have taken four points from the available six (D1, L1), suffering their first defeat in 15 Champions League matches when Lille beat them 1-0 on matchday two.

However, they remain an almost unstoppable force in their own country as Los Blancos haven’t lost a Champions League home game since April 2022 (W11, D3), with three of the last four of those fixtures against German opponents (W2, D1). And given that they’ve never lost a H2H here (W5, D2), the reigning European and Spanish champions also have history on their side.

Meanwhile, Dortmund will be desperate to end their poor head-to-head record away at Real Madrid when they travel to the Spanish capital on Tuesday. The Germans are the team that has played the most Champions League games at the Santiago Bernabeu without winning. However, after scoring ten times in the competition this term already (W2), perhaps they are primed to prevail here.

Nuri Sahin’s side sit at the top of the table on goal difference having beaten Celtic 7-1 on matchday two. Although they followed that win with a surprise defeat to Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, the Black and Yellows at least got back to winning ways by beating St Pauli 2-1 on Friday so they will be glad of the extra day’s rest as they get back on the road. Still, although they’ve only lost one of their last six Champions League away games (W4, D1), that lone defeat did ominously come in Madrid against Real’s rivals Atlético.