Borussia Dortmund to Open Champions League Campaign at Home Against Villarreal

Borussia Dortmund is set to commence their Champions League journey with a home fixture against Spanish side Villarreal on September 8th at the Signal Iduna Park. The German vice-champions learned their full group stage schedule, released by UEFA on Saturday, which maps out their path through the initial phase of the prestigious tournament.

The schedule presents a demanding start for Dortmund, particularly in October. The team faces consecutive away matches within a short span: first, a trip to Norway to play FK Bodö/Glimt on October 14th, followed by an even longer journey to Azerbaijan to face newcomers Sabah FK just a week later, on October 20th. These demanding away games come after a significant Bundesliga fixture against Bayern Munich.

Further into the group stage, Dortmund will host another Spanish club, Betis Sevilla, on November 4th. They are also scheduled to play away against the English champions, FC Arsenal, on November 24th. The group stage concludes with a home match against Italian giants Inter Milan on December 9th.

Notably, Dortmund will face familiar opponents from the previous season, including Inter Milan, Bodö/Glimt, and Villarreal. The final two group games are scheduled for January 19th, an away match against Aston Villa, and a home game against AEK Athens on January 27th. The new 36-team league format means the top eight teams will directly qualify for the knockout stage, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a playoff round.