Overview
Borussia Dortmund featured in a classic match in the opening round of the Champions League when they drew 4-4 with Juventus in Turin. Dortmund led 4-2 until the extra minute, before the "Old Lady" scored two goals in a row to keep a dramatic point.
The team in the black and yellow has maintained an unbeaten streak in all competitions this season. They head into the upcoming match in high spirits after a 2-0 victory over Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga last weekend.
Niko Kovac's team is currently second in the Bundesliga rankings with 13 points after 5 matches (4 wins, 1 loss), 2 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
Dortmund won the Champions League in 1996-1997, reached the final in 2023-2024 but lost to Real Madrid, and stopped in the quarter-finals of 2024-2025 after a defeat to Barcelona. Therefore, the confrontations with Spanish representatives in recent years have not brought them many beautiful memories.
In the League Phase this season, Dortmund fell into a group considered "death" with Copenhagen, Manchester City, Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao entered this match after a 0-1 defeat to Villarreal in La Liga, ending a disappointing September for the Basque team.
Ernesto Valverde's team had an impressive start to the 2025-2026 season with 3 consecutive victories against Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis. However, they surprisingly lost to Alaves right at San Mames, before losing 0-2 to Arsenal in the opening match of the Champions League.
Since then, Bilbao have won just one point in three La Liga games. They drew with Girona, then lost to Valencia and Villarreal, falling to 10th place in the rankings.
Last season, Los Leones participated in the Europa League and advanced to the semi-finals, before stopping at Manchester United. Returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2014-2015, Bilbao are facing a big challenge.
After this match, the Basque team will meet Qarabag, Newcastle United, Slavia Prague, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and Sporting Lisbon in turn. Therefore, a positive result in the middle of this week could become an important springboard for them to aim for more positive matches ahead.
Personnel situation
Dortmund will not have the services of Julien Duranville and captain Emre Can. Aaron Anselmino is still doubtful due to muscle problems, while Cole Campbell is absent due to the U20 World Cup.
Striker Serhou Guirassy was withdrawn from the starting lineup for the match against Mainz last weekend due to injury. However, the 29-year-old striker - who has scored five goals in six appearances this season - is likely to return to the starting lineup.
Karim Adeyemi is also a bright spot, scoring 3 goals and having two more assists after 6 matches. The 23-year-old player is expected to continue to be in the attack.
On the opposite side, Athletic Bilbao are concerned about the fitness of Nico Williams, who has been out since the beginning of September due to injury and is still uncertain to return in time.
In addition, the Spanish team also lost Alex Berenguer, Unai Egiluz, Mikel Vesga and Benat Prados due to injury, while Yeray Alvarez was suspended until April next year due to failing a doping test.
If Nico Williams does not recover in time, Unai Gomez will likely be deployed to play on the left wing, while Gorka Guruzeta will be guaranteed a place in Los Leones' attack.
Expected lineup:
Dortmund: Kobel, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini, Couto, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson, Adeyemi, Guirassy, Beier.
Athletic Bilbao: Simon, Areso, Vivian, Paredes, Berchiche, Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar, I. Williams, Sancet, Gomez, Guruzeta.
The match between Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao takes place at 2:00 am on October 2 (Vietnam time).
