Guirassy leads Dortmund’s Champions League charge against Villarreal

Borussia Dortmund begin their 2026-27 Champions League campaign against Villarreal on Tuesday, with Serhou Guirassy among the leading candidates to score as Niko Kovac’s side seek a fourth consecutive victory.

The Bundesliga club welcome the Liga side to Signal Iduna Park for their opening league-phase fixture, and Dortmund will be expected to take maximum points after an encouraging start to the domestic season. Villarreal, by contrast, are still searching for their first win of the campaign.

Dortmund have recovered strongly since a 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Supercup. They have won their next three matches, most recently beating Hoffenheim 3-2 on Saturday, and another victory would provide a major boost as they attempt to improve on last season’s Champions League campaign, which ended in the play-offs for the knockout phase.

The hosts also have recent history in their favour. Dortmund defeated Villarreal 4-0 in November 2025 during their successful run through last season’s league phase. Six players who started that match are expected to feature again at Signal Iduna Park, where Dortmund have won three of their past four competitive fixtures, scoring 10 goals and keeping two clean sheets.

Villarreal’s preparations have been far less convincing. Inigo Perez replaced Marcelino as head coach during the summer and has yet to oversee a victory in his first four matches in charge. The Yellow Submarine began the season with two draws before losing their past two games.

Their latest setback came in a 3-2 defeat by Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish league. Villarreal had taken the lead through Nicolas Pepe after 19 minutes but were unable to hold on, a result that will increase concerns ahead of their most demanding fixture so far this season.

The visitors also face a difficult Champions League schedule, with Napoli, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain among their other opponents. Another defeat on Tuesday would make it extremely difficult for Villarreal to improve on their 35th-place finish in last season’s league phase.

Team news

Dortmund must cope with a lengthy injury and suspension list, particularly in central defence. Ramy Bensebaini is suspended, Nico Schlotterbeck is unavailable because of an ankle problem and suspension, while Emre Can is recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture. Filippo Mane is a doubt with a muscular injury.

Kovac could therefore select a back three featuring Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and Daniel Svensson, with Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier operating as wing-backs.

Dortmund are also without Justin Lerma, who has a muscular injury, Giannis Konstantelias, who has suffered a cruciate ligament rupture, and 17-year-old Mussa Kaba.

Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha are expected to form the central midfield, with Konstantinos Karetsas and Marcel Sabitzer playing in more advanced roles behind Guirassy.

Villarreal will be without influential centre-back Juan Foyth because of a muscular injury. Perez said the 28-year-old’s absence should not be prolonged, adding that he “progresse bien”.

Logan Costa and Renato Veiga could partner in the centre of defence, while Santiago Mourino and Carlos Romero are expected to fill the full-back positions.

Probable line-ups

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Svensson; Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Beier; Karetsas, Sabitzer; Guirassy.

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

Dortmund’s recent form reads one defeat followed by three victories, while Villarreal have recorded two draws and two defeats. With the German side in confident mood and Villarreal still without a win, the prediction is for Dortmund to extend the visitors’ difficult start by winning a match containing fewer than 4.5 goals.

A second suggested selection is Guirassy to score, while another is for both teams to find the net and the game to produce more than 2.5 goals. The listed prices are 2.35 for a Dortmund win and fewer than 4.5 goals, 1.98 for Guirassy to score, and 1.75 for both teams to score with more than 2.5 goals.

Hubert de The is a young journalist with an interest in football’s history, culture, politics and supporters, and has had a complicated relationship with Olympique Lyonnais since 2007.