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Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal begin Champions League campaign amid uncertainty and unfinished business

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Borussia Dortmund opens its Champions League campaign at home against Villarreal after winning its first two Bundesliga matches, though doubts remain about the team’s form.
  • Villarreal returns to Dortmund after a 4-0 defeat there last season and begins the new campaign without a win in its first four La Liga matches.
  • Both teams face absences, with Dortmund missing several defenders and Villarreal without injured Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero.

Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal meet at Signal Iduna Park with both clubs carrying questions into the new Champions League campaign. Dortmund has won its first two Bundesliga matches, but its results have offered more encouragement than its performances. Villarreal, meanwhile, remains below expectations under new coach Íñigo Pérez.

The Spanish side returns to the stadium where it suffered a 4-0 defeat last season. That loss capped a disappointing Champions League campaign, which ended with Villarreal’s early elimination. This season brings another milestone: Villarreal is appearing in the competition for a second consecutive year for the first time in its history, while Pérez is making his debut in Europe’s leading club tournament.

Dortmund’s latest Bundesliga win came through a comeback against Hoffenheim. The team recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2, echoing the reaction it showed in the German Super Cup after Bayern dominated the first half. Dortmund lost that match 2-1, but nearly forced an equalizer. The signs of resilience have not removed the doubts surrounding the project.

The German runners-up have added Greek player Konstantinos Karetsas, noted for his left-footed passing and shooting. Dortmund will still be without Nico Schlotterbeck as he rehabilitates from a ligament tear, while Giannis Konstantelias, the club’s major signing, is injured after the opening Bundesliga match. Ramy Bensebaini is suspended, and Emre Can is out with a torn cruciate ligament. Dortmund is seeking a better result than last season, when Atalanta unexpectedly eliminated the team before the round of 16.

Villarreal also enters the match looking to make up for last season’s European disappointment. Pérez’s team has not won any of its first four league matches, following the end of Marcelino García Toral’s time as coach. Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero missed the morning training session because of injuries, adding to the uncertainty over the lineup.

About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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