Ahead of Borussia Dortmund hosting Lille in the first leg of their UEFA Champions

Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (c.) is the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League this season with 10 goals.
Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (c.) is the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League this season with 10 goals. – © IMAGO/Kirchner-Media/Thomas Haesler
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5 reasons why Borussia Dortmund will progress against Lille in the UEFA Champions League
03.03.2025
Ahead of Borussia Dortmund hosting Lille in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, bundesliga.com takes you through five reasons Niko Kovač’s men can topple the French outift and reach the quarter-final

Rubbing shoulders with strikers of Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland’s immense pedigree is not something to be overlooked for any centre-forward, yet Serhou Guirassy has certainly managed that for the Black-Yellows in the Champions League this season. Scoring in the first leg of the knockout phase play-off against Sporting Lisbon to take his campaign tally to 10, the outright leading goalscorer in the competition became only the third ever Dortmund player to register double figures of goals in a UCL campaign.

Domestically too, Guirassy has been in fine form of late, scoring four goals in his Dortmund’s 6-0 demolition job of Union Berlin on Matchday 23, which he then supplemented with another goal in a hard-fought 2-0 victory over St. Pauli on Matchday 24. With 14 goals in 21 Bundesliga appearances and 10 goals in 10 in the Champions League, you wouldn’t bet against the Guinean proving to be the difference for his side once again on Tuesday.
had a rocky start to life at Dortmund’s helm, losing his opening two Bundesliga games in charge, but things appear to be turning a corner under the Croatian. Three points on Matchday 24 meant that Dortmund registered consecutive Bundesliga victories for the first time all season (6-0 vs. Union, 2-0 vs. St. Pauli). In Europe too, Kovač comfortably won the two leg knockout play-off against Sporting (3-0 on aggregate), keeping clean sheets over both legs.

Kovač’s changes to Nuri Şahin’s system have been received well by his players. Pascal Groß has notably played with added freedom, grabbing headlines against Union as he became the first German top-flight player in five years to register four assists in one game. Ramy Bensebaini, speaking with bundesliga.com of his new boss, revealed: “We’re training harder, and he wants us to press as high up the pitch as possible and recover the ball quickly when we lose it. Everyone has to work for each other and for the team.”

Watch: Dortmund on the up under Niko Kovač
The Black-and-Yellows have often enjoyed success on both sides of the border against their French neighbours. In all 26 previous meetings with French teams in European competition, Dortmund can boast 11 wins, six draws, and nine defeats, though that record at home extends to seven wins, four draws, and only two defeats.

Interestingly, BVB’s last six games against French opponents have all involved Paris Saint-Germain, including four meetings last season, with the Ruhr club winning both semi-final legs (1-0) to eliminate them from the 2023/24 instalment of the competition. Additionally, Dortmund’s record in two-legged ties against French clubs is four wins and three losses.

By contrast, Lille have struggled against German sides on the rarer occasions they have faced them. In 11 meetings, they have recorded two wins, four draws and five defeats. To add to this somewhat unflattering record, Lille have also never won a Champions League knockout tie before.
Former Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck (l-r) celebrate victory after defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg at the Parc des Princes. – Matthias Hangst
4) Home is where they want to be

The first leg will take place at Signal Iduna Park and in front of the famous Yellow Wall, who are always up for a European night. Whilst Dortmund have always had a close relationship with their home fans, it’s more apparent this season than ever before, with the majority of their success in the current campaign coming on home turf.

Domestically, they have played 12 games at home, winning seven, drawing three, and losing two, whilst scoring 31 goals in the process and conceding just 15. That means their home record is responsible for 70 per cent of their Bundesliga victories this season (seven of 10 wins). In the Champions League too, they have won three, drawn one and lost one of their five home games, scoring 13 and conceding just five. Visitors have to be at their best to get points in Dortmund.Watch: Inside Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park
Dortmund may not be in the contention for the Bundesliga title this season, but that could play into their hands in Europe as it allows them to focus on their Champions League campaign. After all, they proved this last season, finishing fifth domestically but making it all the way to the Champions League final. They didn’t have a straightforward path to the continental showdown either, having to knockout PSV Eindhoven, Atlético Madrid, and PSG on their historic run.

Although they were undone by Real Madrid in the final (2-0), it’s important to note that seven of the players that started that match remain regular starters at the club this term. Having fallen just short, and with a core of players who know what it takes to go far in the competition, there’s every reason to believe that Dortmund can emulate last season’s run.