Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund: Match preview | OneFootball

Games are coming thick and fast as Real Madrid brace themselves to take on a familiar opponent in Borussia Dortmund in matchday three of the UEFA Champions League.

The last time these two sides met, Real Madrid lifted the Champions League for the 15th time. Not a lot has changed for Los Blancos since then though, with the major changes being Toni Kroos’ retirement and Kylian Mbappe’s arrival.

The same squad which faced Celta Vigo has been named for this fixture as well. This game is of utmost importance after the 1-0 defeat to Lille before the international break.

Carlo Ancelotti tried something different in the previous match, with Jude Bellingham sifting on the right and also a three-man defence.

These experiment did not quite work out as planned and Ancelotti seems like he will not repeat it again. But the Italian reaffirmed that he will always play a four-man defence.

He also acknowledged the fact that Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius occupy the left flank more often and that is why Jude Bellingham can be dangerous on the right wing alongside Rodrygo. It will be interesting to see if Ancelotti continues playing this way against Dortmund and FC Barcelona over the weekend.

On the other hand, Fede Valverde had a quiet evening at the Balaidos and was substituted in the 63rd minute. Although short, the Uruguayan needed that break considering the high intensity matches he played during the international break.

Moreover, it was a delight to see Kylian Mbappe back to goal scoring ways and Vinicius looking good since returning from injury. The Merengues need them firing regularly up front considering the sort of opponents they face for the next 4-5 matches.

One of those opponents is for this fixture – Borussia Dortmund. Under new manager Nuri Sahin, the men in yellow have had an underwhelming start to the season, placed at 7th on the Bundesliga table.

But the Germans have surprisingly found it easier in the Champions League, winning both their games so far and quite convincingly – by scoring 10 goals.

Dortmund did receive a blow as inform attacker Karim Adeyemi picked up an injury against Celtic and as a result, was ruled out for a month. But despite that, they boast an underrated but effective attack in the face of Serhou Guirassy, Jamie Gittens and Julian Brandt.

Considering the fact that Madrid do not possess the strongest backline at the moment, the German side can look to exploit this weakness.

It will be interesting to see how Borussia approach this game, because according to MARCA, Nuri Sahin opted not to train at the Santiago Bernabeu a day before the game, ‘due to the fear of their tactics being seen.’

Dortmund will look to avenge the Champions League final loss and what better to do that at the home of the reigning champions. While Real Madrid would be eager to put on a rather smooth display, ensuring no hiccups whatsoever and secure a morale boosting victory just before the huge El Clasico over the weekend.