Borussia Dortmund vs Celtic Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!

After finishing as runners’ up in last season’s UEFA Champions League, Borussia Dortmund will have to kick into gear from the off this time around to show it wasn’t an absolute fluke against a Celtic side finally looking to build in Europe.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 1st October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – CBS Sports

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+

BORUSSIA DORTMUND PREVIEW: PRESSURE ON SAHIN

Under the management of Edin Terzic, Borussia Dortmund underperformed in the Bundesliga but managed to get themselves into the final of the UEFA Champions League beyond all expectation. This time around, though, there is expected to be general progression in their style of football under Nuri Sahin – which has yet to be seen.

Dortmund began their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-0 defeat of Club Brugge in which all three goals came late on but they have remained inconsistent in the Bundesliga with a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Stuttgart being followed by a 4-2 win over Bochum at the weekend.

CELTIC PREVIEW: BUOYANT BHOYS

In the last decade, Celtic have underperformed fairly significantly in European competition and, with the Scottish Premiership title pretty much already wrapped up and a major gulf between themselves and Rangers in Scotland’s top-flight, there would appear to be even more importance on making a mark in Europe.

They made a very good start to that goal a couple of weeks ago when they welcomed Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava to Celtic Park and annihilated Vladimir Weiss’ side by five goals to one. Since then they have also enjoyed a 5-2 Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Falkirk before hammering Saint Johnstone by six goals to nil at the weekend.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND TEAM NEWS: FRUSTRATION FOR GITTENS

Throughout this season, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has been a match winner for Dortmund and was so against Club Brugge but the Englishman is expected to be unavailable for this one.

As well as the English youngster, Dortmund also have absentees in midfield as Austria international Marcel Sabitzer is sidelined alongside USA man Gio Reyna.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Couto, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson; Can, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Beier; Guirassy

UNAVAILABLE: Sabitzer (Injured), Reyna (Injured), Bynoe-Gittens (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

CELTIC TEAM NEWS: NO CCV

There is only one injury concern for Celtic this week as United States international defender Cameron Carter-Vickers remains sidelined for the visitors with a toe injury.

There is an added bit of depth to the Celtic attack with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda now supported by big money signings such as Arne Engels and Adam Idah.

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda

UNAVAILABLE: Carter-Vickers (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

KEY STATS

• Dortmund have won the last three UEFA competition matches between these two teams.
• Dortmund won their previous two UEFA competition matches at home against Celtic without conceding a goal.
• Dortmund are unbeaten in their last ten UEFA competition matches at home (W6 D4). Since a 4-2 defeat against Rangers in the 2021/22 Europa League knock-out play-off round.
• Dortmund have lost only two of their last 13 UEFA Champions League matches (W8 D3).
• Dortmund have kept six clean sheets in their last eight UEFA Champions League matches at home.
• Celtic have not won any of their previous 14 UEFA competition matches away from home against German teams (D3 L11).
• Celtic have won only one of their last 15 UEFA competition matches against German teams (D3 L11).
• Celtic are aiming to win three successive matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper for the first time.
• Celtic are trying to start a UEFA Champions League campaign with two successive wins for the first time (excluding qualifying).
• Celtic have won seven and drawn one of their last eight away matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
• Celtic have won only one of their last 18 away matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper (D3 L14).
• Celtic have not kept a clean sheet in their last 18 UEFA competition matches.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS CELTIC PREDICTION

This one has the potential to be a genuinely entertaining encounter at the Westfalenstadion. As mentioned, Dortmund have been inconsistent thus far but their last two games have consisted of 12 goals. Celtic, quite impressively albeit against limited opposition, have scored 33 goals in nine matches after a strong pre-season tour of the United States. A high-scoring affair seems almost inevitable.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS CELTIC TIP: OVER 2.5 GOALS