The air is starting to cool and the leaves are just starting to turn. The kids are back in school and, best of all, European football back. Tomorrow, Borussia Dortmund begin their quest anew for the greatest prize in club football: the Champions League trophy.
Our beloved black-and-yellows have gotten off to what you might call a decent start in the Bundesliga with a 2-0-1 record, although they have not faced an opponent near the caliber of tomorrow’s challenger, Juventus. It will be a huge test for
Niko Kovac and a squad that is still not at full strength. They haven’t looked great, despite their record, and Juve seem poised to punish any mistakes much more than Heidenheim.
Juventus, meanwhile, are off to a flying start in Serie A, and are riding high off of a thrilling 4-3 victory against Inter Milan in the Derby d’Italia, in which Vasilije Adzic scored a ridiculous goal from what felt like a half mile out to win the game in stoppage time.
Player to Watch: Dušan Vlahović
Despite being Juventus’s top goal-scorer for three straight seasons, Vlahovic is not without his critics. He arrived in Turin in 2022 with lofty expectations of leading the line in the next great era for the storied Italian club. While he hasn’t entirely flopped, he hasn’t broken 20 goals like many hoped he would, and had an especially down year last season with only 10 goals. He was rumored to depart over the summer, but the Old Lady has kept him around, and so far he has played quite well, with two goals in his first three games.
Predicted Lineup
Julian Brandt and Aaron Anselmino missed Dortmund’s match on Saturday against Heidenheim. According to Ruhr Nachrichten, both players will be traveling with the squad; while Julian Brandt should be ready to play, Anselmino will miss the game. Meanwhile, Pascal Groß has a stomach infection and will not play. Either Jobe Bellingham or Marcel Sabitzer could slot in for him in midfield.
I think Adeyemi, Beier, and Guirassy are in good form and I really like how they played together against Heidenheim. That’s not to mention the reality that there aren’t many alternatives: Julien Duranville and Fabio Silva are still hurt, I don’t believe Carney Chukwuemeka is ready to start, and I don’t think Cole Campbell is ready to be thrown into such a big match as a starter.
Prediction
I think that Juve will be a tough test for BVB. They’ve gotten off to a strong start in Serie A, and Juventus Stadium is a very raucous atmosphere. Meanwhile, Dortmund have looked shaky and are still missing many key players, so I’m going to predict a one-goal defeat for the good guys.
