Borussia Dortmund Look to Extend Momentum
Borussia Dortmund enter Tuesday's Champions League opener full of confidence after a strong stretch, while Villarreal limp into Germany off the back of consecutive defeats. Dortmund picked up three wins and just one loss across their early fixtures, with that lone setback coming in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Super Cup, a game in which they were competitive for long stretches. Villarreal, meanwhile, have dropped their last two outings, falling 1-0 to Alaves and 3-2 to Deportivo, and still haven't found a win to open their season. With one side riding momentum and the other searching for answers, this Champions League Matchday 1 clash looks set up for the hosts to assert themselves.
Match Details
Competition: 2026-27 UEFA Champions League
Matchday: 1
Location: Dortmund, Germany
Venue: Signal Iduna Park
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Dortmund Carry the Better Form
There's little debate that Dortmund head into this one in the stronger position, and their recent run backs that up. Even in defeat against Bayern Munich, they showed they could hang with a top tier side, and that performance has carried over into a run of positive results since.
Villarreal's Rough Patch
Villarreal simply haven't been able to find their footing. Back to back losses against Alaves and Deportivo are the kind of results a club with genuine Champions League ambitions can't afford, especially against opposition they should be handling. It's been a winless start to the campaign, and nothing in their recent form suggests that's about to change against a Dortmund side playing with real intent.
The Case for Dortmund
Add it up, and this looks like a straightforward spot for the hosts. Serhou Guirassy and Dortmund will be chasing a fourth straight win in all competitions on Tuesday, riding the momentum built since their Super Cup defeat. Villarreal's inability to string together results, combined with a summer that saw limited squad reinforcement and a change on the touchline, points to a team still trying to find its identity. Dortmund, by contrast, look like a group building toward something, and Signal Iduna Park should only amplify that edge.
The Trends Support It
Dortmund's underlying performance in the Super Cup loss, competitive for large periods against elite opposition, is the kind of signal that tends to translate into results once the schedule softens. Villarreal, on the other hand, arrive with almost nothing positive to build on from their last two matches.
The Best Bet
Dortmund carry the better momentum into this one, having shown real quality even in their lone defeat of the pre-season. Villarreal's back to back losses to Alaves and Deportivo, paired with a lack of summer reinforcements and a coaching change that hasn't clicked yet, make it hard to trust them on the road against a side playing with this much confidence.
Borussia Dortmund ML
Odds subject to change
