Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal preview: Team news & predicted lineups

Team news, predicted lineups and key insights ahead of Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal in the 2026/27 Champions League.

Photo by Oliver Hardt/Getty Images

Following a 1-2 defeat at home to Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup, Borussia Dortmund are now on a three-game winning streak heading into their 2026/27 Champions League opener against Villarreal at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday.

Die Schwarzgelben actually looked on course for a defeat at the weekend after falling 2-0 behind against TSG Hoffenheim, but they produced a late surge to turn the game around and claim their second Bundesliga win in as many matches.

By contrast, Tuesday's opponents, Villarreal, are still searching for their first win of the season after four games and currently sit 16th in La Liga with just two points.

Inigo Perez's men are coming off back-to-back defeats, most recently suffering a disappointing 3-2 loss to Deportivo La Coruña despite taking the lead twice during the game.

Not exactly an ideal build-up for Villarreal, who will face Borussia Dortmund for just the second time in a competitive fixture on Tuesday.

Their only previous meeting came in last season's Champions League, when Dortmund secured a 4-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park in a game that saw Serhou Guirassy bag a brace.

Team news and predicted lineups:

Borussia Dortmund will again be without key defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who is still working his way back from the ankle injury he suffered at the World Cup.

New signing Giannis Konstantelias is also sidelined after tearing his ACL on his Bundesliga debut.

Captain Emre Can remains out with a long-term injury, while Ramy Bensebaini is suspended. Additionally, young centre-back Filippo Mané is a major doubt after being forced off with an injury during the weekend win over Hoffenheim.

As for Villarreal, Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero are doubtful after both missed the defeat to Deportivo La Coruña at the weekend.

Click here to see our predicted Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal lineups.