Borussia Dortmund vs Lille Champions League preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Article summary
Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news, form and coaches' views ahead of the round of 16 first leg.
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Borussia Dortmund host Lille in the first leg of their in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on 4 March.
Match at a glance
When: 4 March (21:00 CET)
Where: BVB Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund
What: Champions League round of 16 first leg
Who: The 1997 Champions League winners against a standout league phase performer.
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Where to watch the game on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
What do you need to know?
Two of the sharpest shooting strikers from this Champions League season go head to head in the third UEFA competition meeting between these clubs. Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy has come a long way since making his top-flight debut with Lille in the 2015/16 season, leading the Champions League with ten goals scored this term. Jonathan David, meanwhile, struck six goals across eight league phase games to help Lille secure the seventh-placed finish that sent them straight to the round of 16.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač gained experience of French football during his time as Monaco coach, while his counterpart Bruno Génésio has the inside track on Guirassy, whom he coached at Rennes. Who will gain the edge in a close-fought match?
Possible line-ups
B. Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
Lille: Chevalier; Meunier, Diakité, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Mukau, André, Bouaddi; Haraldsson, David, Bakker
Form guide
Form: WWDLWL
Latest: St Pauli 0-2 Dortmund, Bundesliga, 01/03
Form: LWWLDW
Latest: Paris 4-1 Lille, Ligue 1, 01/03
What the coaches say
Niko Kovač, Dortmund coach: "Lille play a very versatile brand of football. This will demand a lot of strength and concentration from us. They didn't make it in to the top eight for nothing and have, for example, beaten Real Madrid. It's going to be a tough nut to crack.
"We have become more settled, we work hard every day on the training ground and in the meeting room. We are still far from where we want to be but the way the boys are going along with it pleases me."
Bruno Génésio, Lille coach: "We are among the best 16 teams in Europe, which means we get to experience moments like these. I have never been to this stadium but everyone I have spoken to says how impressive it is. Dortmund have good players capable of exceeding themselves with their fans behind them."