Club Brugge vs Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund head to the Jan Breydel Stadium to kick off their 2024/25 Champions League campaign against Club Brugge.

After reaching the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season, defending Belgian Pro League champions Club Brugge return to the Champions League main phase for the sixth time in seven years. There’s no better place to kick off their European season than the Jan Breydel Stadium, where they went unbeaten in all nine continental fixtures last term (W6, D3). Despite winning four consecutive league matches in the build-up to this clash, Club Brugge must approach this assignment with cautious optimism after winning only three of their last 20 home outings in the Champions League proper (D6, L11). Dortmund’s upcoming visit doesn’t bode well either, with ‘Blauw-Zwart’ managing just two wins across their last nine encounters against German visitors on home turf (D2, L5).

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund came agonizingly close to European glory last term, only for Real Madrid to deny them their second Champions League title in the grand final. ‘Die Borussen’ must erase the memory of a 2-0 loss at Wembley and start over under new manager Nuri Sahin. The former Turkish midfielder has overseen a three-game unbeaten Bundesliga start (W2, D1) to set himself up nicely for his first Champions League game as manager. As the German giants gear up for their ninth consecutive season in the Champions League main phase, Sahin looks to improve his side’s poor traveling record of late, with Dortmund registering just 11 wins across their last 35 European games away from home (D7, L17). Stars might have aligned to pit him against a perfect opposition as Dortmund have kept a clean sheet in their last four meetings with Club Brugge (W3, D1).