Dortmund Hosts Athletic Bilbao in Crucial Champions League Showdown

Dortmund, Germany – UEFA Champions League action resumes as Borussia Dortmund hosts Athletic Club Bilbao for their first European match at the Westfalenstadion this season. The game is set to kick off at 21:00 CET on Wednesday evening.

Athletic Club, hailing from Spain’s Basque region, has faced a rocky start in the league. After a strong performance in their opening fixture, they lost to Arsenal 2-0, conceding both goals in the last 20 minutes. Last weekend, Athletic suffered another setback, falling 1-0 to Villarreal thanks to a strike from Alberto Moleiro.

Dortmund, on the other hand, recently experienced a thrilling match against Juventus, ending in a 4-4 draw. However, since then, they have demonstrated strong defensive capabilities, winning their last two matches against VfL Wolfsburg (1-0) and Mainz (2-0).

The Westfalenstadion has been a fortress for Dortmund, who will look to maintain this advantage against Bilbao. With four goals scored and none conceded in their last two games, the matchup promises to be competitive.

In terms of team news, Dortmund will be missing several key players on Wednesday, including Emre Can, Julien Duranville, and Aaron Anselmino, due to injuries. They hope that top-scorer Serhou Guirassy, who missed the game against Mainz as a precaution, will be fit to start or come off the bench.

Athletic Club’s main concern is whether Nico Williams can participate. The club’s director of football, Mikel Gonzalez, stated, “hopefully we see him soon.” However, Benat Prados and Unai Egiluz are confirmed to miss the match as they recover from cruciate ligament tears.

Dortmund coach Niko Kovač emphasized the importance of home advantage, saying, “We expect a motivated and difficult opponent. But we’re playing at home, and we want to win this game.” Meanwhile, Nico Schlotterbeck is looking forward to his first Champions League match after recovering from injury, praising his teammates’ efforts in recent games.

The outcome of this match could prove pivotal for both teams as they look to gain momentum in the prestigious tournament.