Champions League Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Lille | OneFootball

Coming off the back of two Bundesliga wins, Borussia Dortmund will aim to keep that winning feeling when they host Ligue 1’s Lille in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Both clubs will fancy their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they’ll likely meet FC Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund

Niko Kovač is finally getting this Dortmund side to tick. Unbeaten in their last five in all competitions, the club is finally looking up in the Bundesliga and will fancy their chances of making the last eight of the Champions League.

Last weekend, Dortmund earned a gritty 0-2 win in Hamburg against St. Pauli. Goals from topscorer Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi earned all three points.

Adeyemi almost feels like a new signing right now. So close to leaving for Napoli in January, the German international has started every game under new Dortmund head coach Kovač, and now Christian Falk reports that his move away from the club in the winter was pushed by the player’s former agent Ali Barat.

Adeyemi has since joined Roof agency and will be represented by Giuseppe Pisano and Andreas Ottl. Falk adds that Adeyemi feels comfortable in Dortmund and with a contract until 2027, a stay beyond the summer is entirely possible.

Dortmund have gladly been the Champions League underdogs in recent years, and it’s served them well. They know their route to the final, and should they fail to make the top four (a likely scenario), it will be their best way into the competition next year.

Lille

The French side will be looking to make history in their two legs against Dortmund. The club has never advanced beyond the last 16 of the Champions League.

The team has enjoyed fantastic success so far in the competition. They qualified automatically for the round of 16, beating both Madrid sides and hammering Feyenoord 6-1 in the process.

What’s more, Lille have the best conversation rate than any other club left in the competition, with 22.7% of all chances resulting in goals. Having also scored in all of their last 11 games in all competitions, Lille will be expecting to at least take a goal or two home when they leave Dortmund on Tuesday evening.

Teams News

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund have no fresh injury concerns coming into this fixture. Julian Ryerson still remains a doubt having missed last Saturday’s win against St. Pauli. If he’s missing again on Tuesday, expect Yan Couto to start once again.

Lille

Likewise, there is no fresh injury concern for Lille. Edon Zhegrova, Samuel Umtiti, and Tiago Santos are all still unavailable for Tuesday’s game.

GGFN | Jamie Allen