Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP

Signal Iduna Park forms the backdrop for the return leg of a nearly-decided Champions League knockout playoff tie between Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP.

Borussia Dortmund set one for in the Champions League round of 16 with a dominant 3-0 first-leg win in Lisbon last week, only for Bundesliga minnows Bochum to halt their momentum at the weekend. A dismal 2-0 loss to one of the division’s worst teams condemned ‘Die Borussen’ to a second consecutive league defeat. However, they’re on the verge of progressing from this tie unless they concede 3+ goals in a home match for the first time since November 2023. Adding to Niko Kovac’s confidence, the German heavyweights boast a 100% conversion rate across 11 previous European knockout ties when winning the first leg away from home. Worryingly, they’ve only suffered three defeats across their last seven home outings (W1, D3, L3), though each loss came by a single-goal margin.

On the other hand, Sporting CP failed to recover from last week’s home battering as fellow Primeira Liga rivals Arouca held them to a 2-2 draw, extending their winless run in all competitions to three matches (D2, L1). Turning this tie on its head against the odds depends on the visitors defying a woeful run of 12 defeats from their 14 UEFA away encounters against German opposition (W1, D1). That’s far-fetched, especially considering Rui Borges’ men have only won one of their last seven competitive away matches (D3, L3), failing to score more than once on five occasions. But with five of those seven games featuring 3+ goals, fans in attendance could be in for a treat.