Igor Tudor starts the Champions League with Juventus. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Old friends meet at the start

Their form is good, their confidence is high. Borussia Dortmund is looking forward to the first big football evening of the season with their Champions League opener at Juventus.

September 16, 2025

From: dpa/dl

The duel with the traditional Italian club is a showdown with a rich history for Borussia Dortmund, who have started well. More importantly, however, the match in the warm, late-summer Piedmont represents the first major test of the season for the club. How far along is coach Niko Kovac's team really?

Seven points in three Bundesliga matches against Heidenheim, Union Berlin, and FC St. Pauli and second place in the table are one thing. But for the first time this season, Dortmund will face a truly top team.

Dortmund and Juve know each other well

Unusual: The last encounter with coach Igor Tudor's team was just five weeks ago. Dortmund lost 1-2 in the season-opening friendly. The most recent competitive matches against the Italian record champions, against whom BVB triumphed in the Champions League in 1997 with current managing director Lars Ricken as the goalscorer in the final, were also lost. The scores in the round of 1 of Europe's top club competition in 2 were 0-3 and 2015-XNUMX.

Serhou Guirassy is Borussia Dortmund's top striker. © APA/afp / THOMAS KIENZLE

"It's time for us to score points there," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "We're heading there with a lot of anticipation for this competition."
BVB is now entering the first, hottest phase of the season. The match in Turin is the second of six matches within 22 days. The tight schedule will also test the depth of the Westphalian squad. "The team is fit, and we have the opportunity to rotate a lot," said Kehl.

Juve with confidence

Juventus has had a perfect start to the season, picking up nine points from three matches. Unlike Borussia Dortmund, the Champions League opening phase isn't the first time the Old Lady, as Juve is also known, has faced an international-class opponent: In their spectacular 4-3 win against Inter, the Tudor team put on a great football show.

CL: Tuesday's games

Athletic Club vs. Arsenal (18.45:XNUMX p.m.)
PSV Eindhoven – Union SG
Benfica – Quarabag (21.00)
Juventus – Dortmund
Real Madrid – Marseille
Tottenham – Villareal