Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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Defending and 15-time European champions Real Madrid have had a frustrating start to the season but Los Blancos are getting results on the board as they now welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabeu on the third match day of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 22nd October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports app / US – Paramount+
REAL MADRID PREVIEW: MADRID ISSUES
Carlo Ancelotti is known for his tactical flexibility and Los Blancos are going to have to be inventive at some point this season due to the tactical confusion of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe all liking pretty much the exact same areas on the pitch.
Real Madrid have suffered just one defeat in their opening 13 matches across all competitions so far this season but they have been generally underwhelming in terms of their performance level throughout. They do come into this one on the back of a slender and hard-fought 2-1 defeat of Celta Vigo at Balaidos in Galicia at the weekend.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND PREVIEW: DORTMUND ISSUES
Nuri Sahin remains in charge of Borussia Dortmund but there is already a bit of growing pressure on the former Dortmund, Liverpool and Real Madrid central midfielder. The Germans have, despite inconsistency in the Bundesliga, began their UEFA Champions League campaign with back-to-back-to-nil victories.
Dortmund started with a 3-0 hammering of Club Brugge at the Janbreydelstadion before then annihilating Celtic by seven goals to one in their second match of the campaign. In the Bundesliga, they sit outside of the top six with just four victories in their seven matches, edging past newly-promoted and struggling St Pauli by two goals to one at the weekend.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: BEST ELEVEN
Carlo Ancelotti has been key to rest and rotate in the opening weeks of this season but defeat to Lille last time out means this game requires their absolute best eleven.
Spain international Dani Carvajal has suffered an ACL injury and his replacement at the weekend, Lucas Vazquez, was underwhelming against Celta.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Militao, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
UNAVAILABLE: Alaba (Injured), Carvajal (Injured), Brahim (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BORUSSIA DORTMUND TEAM NEWS: SEVERAL ABSENTEES
Borussia Dortmund have a couple of major injury issues for this trip to the Spanish capital with hat-trick hero from their last outing, Karim Adeyemi, now out with a hamstring injury.
As well as Adeyemi, Dortmund are without defenders Niklas Sule and Yan Couto as well as the likes of Pascal Gross, Gio Reyna and Julien Duranville.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Sabitzer; Nmecha, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy
UNAVAILABLE: Sule (Illness), Couto (Injured), Gross (Injured), Reyna (Injured), Duranville (Injured), Adeyemi (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Beier (Illness)
KEY STATS
- Real Madrid have lost only one of their last eight UEFA competition matches against Dortmund (W5 D2). Their victory in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final was their third win in succession against the German club.
- Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 22 UEFA competition matches against German teams (W15 D6).
- Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 24 UEFA competition home games against German teams (W18 D5). They are unbeaten in the last 11 (W8 D3), since a 4-3 defeat by Schalke in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 14 UEFA Champions League home matches (W11 D3).
- Real Madrid have won their last nine UEFA Champions League group/league phase home games.
- Real Madrid have won all their previous six competitive home games this season.
- Real Madrid have not lost a competitive match at home since a 3-2 defeat against Villarreal on 8 April 2023 in their domestic league.
- Real Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 47 UEFA Champions League group/league phase home games.
- Kylian Mbappé needs one goal to become the ninth player to reach the total of 50 goals scored in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
- Dortmund have won only three of their previous 19 UEFA competition matches away from home against Spanish teams (D5 L11).
- Dortmund have won five of their last six UEFA Champions League matches (L1).
- Dortmund have won five and drawn two of their last seven UEFA Champions League group/league phase games.
- Dortmund have lost only two of their last 14 UEFA Champions League matches (W9 D3).
- Dortmund are aiming to start a UEFA Champions League campaign with three successive wins for the first time since 2018/19.
REAL MADRID VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND PREDICTION
Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid will be hoping that performances improve as results keep coming and if that is the case then they will head into the second-half of the season in an excellent position. Borussia Dortmund have pace on the counter-attack and will target Madrid’s right-hand side, as well as the lack of defending from attackers on the left. So a Dortmund goal could be expected but Madrid should still come out on top at the Bernabeu.
REAL MADRID VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND TIP: REAL MADRID TO WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
