Kovac warns Dortmund: beware the two-faced European rival ready to flip the script

Match Preview

Borussia Dortmund welcome Villarreal to Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday for a pivotal Champions League group-stage encounter.

The German side, coming off a home win in their previous European tilt against Athletic Bilbao, faces a difficult test as Niko Kovac sizes up a third-placed Villarreal in La Liga.

Current Form

Dortmund sit on seven points after two wins (Athletic Bilbao, Copenhagen), a draw (Juventus) and a loss (Manchester City). The result leaves them positioned to reach the knockout rounds and, in theory, to seal a direct route to the last 16 by finishing eighth, a spot currently held by Liverpool on nine points.

Injury concerns loom as Niklas Süle remains unavailable, while Maximilian Beier missed part of the final training session.

Kovac explained in the pre-match briefing that Beier’s issue is muscular rather than structural: “Maxi played more than 90 minutes against Stuttgart on Saturday, and there’s nothing broken, just a bit of muscle stiffness.”

The young striker Beier has been productive this season with six goals and three assists in 16 appearances, including a decisive contribution against Stuttgart that helped Dortmund to an early 2-0 lead in a 3-3 draw.

Ramy Bensebaini has returned to training after back issues, and Emre Can signaled he would be available at 100% if selected.

Two-faced Opponent

Villarreal appear with two faces this season: in La Liga they sit third with 29 points after 13 rounds, while in the Champions League they have just one point from four matches and sit near the bottom of the group. Kovac noted that their league form reflects quality and warned they’ll fight hard to reach the knockout stage.

To reach the knockout rounds, Villarreal will need to maximize results, with Napoli’s four-point position cited as a challenging benchmark for the group’s dynamic. Dortmund, meanwhile, acknowledge Villarreal’s technical quality and rapid transitions from defense to attack.

First Official Meeting

The two clubs have never met in a competitive fixture, though they have faced off in two pre-season friendlies in 2022 and 2024, with Dortmund losing 2-0 in one and drawing 2-2 in the other after goals from J. Gaitens and Marcel Sabetzer in the latter.

Kovac urged his team to stay focused: “We want to win, this is our clear objective. We need a strong performance.”

Numbers

Dortmund have a strong home record against Spanish clubs in European competition, having lost only two of their last 14 home ties versus La Liga sides (eight wins, four draws).

Serhou Guirassy has netted 10 goals in his eight previous home European appearances, and Dortmund would love to add to their tally on Tuesday to push their historic European totals closer to the 350-goal milestone.

In terms of recent form, Dortmund have lost only one of their last 19 European home games (12 wins, six draws). Villarreal, by contrast, have not found sustained success in Europe in recent outings, with seven consecutive matches without a win (one draw, six losses).

The club’s legends dream of a second Champions League title, following their 1996-97 triumph; they have since fallen in finals, including a 2013 loss to Bayern Munich and a 2024 setback against Real Madrid.

With the match looming, Dortmund hope to extend their European dominance at home and push toward a successful campaign in the tournament’s knockout stages.

And if you’re wondering about the practical takeaway: a win would give Dortmund a big step toward the knockouts, while a Villarreal upset would refresh a competition that’s already got more twists than a pretzel. Two punchlines, please—sniper-level humor on standby.

Punchline time: If Dortmund win, they’ll need to hire a bigger trophy cabinet. Punchline 2: Villarreal’s two-faced game plan is so confusing, even their own defense checks for a second opinion.