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Borussia Dortmund expected to dominate against Lille in home match

Borussia Dortmund expected to dominate against Lille in home match

Last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season by eliminating Lille in the round of 16.

Dortmund had to beat Sporting in the play-off round after finishing 10th in the League Phase, while Lille qualified automatically due to their seventh-place finish.

The German team has won their last two games in the Bundesliga against Union Berlin and St Pauli, whereas Lille's two-match winning streak in Ligue 1 was halted by a 4-1 loss to league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Team news

Felix Nmecha and Filippo Mane are still out for Dortmund, but Julian Brandt could make an appearance after coming on as a substitute in the previous game against St Pauli following a minor injury.

Lille are not expected to have any of their injured players back for the first leg on Tuesday, meaning Edon Zhegrova, Remy Cabella, Samuel Umtiti, and Tiago Santos are all likely to be unavailable.

Lille's coach Bruno Genesio prepares his team for a difficult European match against Dortmund.
Lille's coach Bruno Genesio prepares his team for a difficult European match against Dortmund.

The statistics

Dortmund defeated Club Brugge, Celtic, Sturm Graz, Dinamo Zagreb, and Shakhtar Donetsk in the first stage but suffered defeats against Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bologna.

Lille claimed victories over Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bologna, Sturm Graz, and Feyenoord in the group phase, with draws against Juventus and losses to Sporting and Liverpool.

Dortmund have kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches in all competitions.

Lille have scored in each of their last 11 games in all competitions and only failed to score in one of their Champions League matches this season.

The winner of this tie will go up against either Benfica or Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

Prediction

Dortmund go into the first leg against Lille with momentum from two consecutive victories in the Bundesliga, including a 6-0 thrashing of Union Berlin and a 2-0 win against St Pauli.

Having conceded just two goals in their last five games, Dortmund are expected to take a valuable lead in the first leg against Lille, although the visitors have shown they can find the back of the net having scored in their last 11 matches.

Lille's morale took a hit after a heavy 4-1 defeat to PSG in Ligue 1, but they will aim to put up a fight in the Euro clash despite Dortmund being the favorites.

Dortmund have been strong at home in the Champions League this season, with only Barcelona managing to win at Signal Iduna Park. Their convincing win over Sporting CP in the play-off round suggests that they are likely to have the upper hand against Lille.