Champions League: Juventus Vs Borussia Dortmund, The Old Lady Is Still Perfect! Can BVB Be A Badminton?

JAKARTA - The Champions League will resume on Tuesday night, September 16, when Juventus will host Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Stadium, Turin. This meeting will be a big test for both teams who are in good form in their respective domestic leagues.

Juventus came with high spirits after a dramatic 4-3 win over their arch rival, Inter Milan, in Serie A on Saturday, September 13. Having fallen 3-2 when Marcus Thuram scored in the 76th minute, the Old Lady bounced back with two late goals to ensure their third win of the season. The result put Juventus in second place in the Serie A standings, only missing the goal difference from Napoli.

Igor Tudor's troops have won three games at the start of the 2025-26 season and scored seven goals so far. Although their defensive record has been tarnished for the first time this season against Inter, Juventus' attacking performance looks solid. However, in last season's Champions League, Juventus appeared disappointing. They only finished 20th in the league stage with nine points and failed to take advantage of the chances in the last 16 playoffs after losing 4-3 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven.

Juventus did win 3-2 over RB Leipzig last season, but also lost 0-1 to Stuttgart proof that fighting the Bundesliga side was not an easy task. Although Juve recorded six consecutive wins at home in Serie A, they actually lost twice to the last four European matches at the Allianz Stadium.

From the visitors' camp, Borussia Dortmund came with a 2-0 win over Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. The win was their third clean sheet this season, and Niko Kovac's men are now in second place in the Bundesliga with seven points from three matches.

BVB also has a good away record, won twice and drew once from three away games this season. However, they last met Juventus in an official competition in 2014-15 and lost 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16. Even so, Dortmund had won twice in a row against Juventus before that defeat.

Juventus can field almost all of their main players. Bremer will be the pillar at the heart of defense alongside Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly in a three-back formation. Manuel Locatelli, who is good at controlling the ball under pressure, will be key in midfield, duet with Khephren Thuram. On the front lines, Dusan Vlahovic and Jonathan David duo duo will be a threat, supported by Kenan Yildiz behind them.

Borussia Dortmund is still missing the trio of Emre Can defenders, Niklas Sule, and Nico Schlotterbeck. With limited options, Niko Kovac is likely to play Aaron Anselmino, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini in the back. Jobe Bellingham will lead the midfield, helping to provide opportunities for their sharp striker, Serhou Guirassy.

Juventus' defense shows a gap against Inter, and Dortmund have the capacity to create chances, especially with a solid away record. However, Juve's front line is expected to be able to exploit Dortmund's crippled defense. The tall draw looked realistic.

This match has the potential to be an exciting spectacle with both teams attacking each other and creating lots of chances. Fans at Allianz Stadium are likely to see an open duel full of goals.

Estimated Lineup Of Players

Juventus (3-4-1-2)Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Kalulu, Locatelli, Thuram, McKennie; Yildiz; Vlahovic, David

Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1)Cobel; Anselmino, Anton, Bensebaini; Couto, Sabitzer, Bellingham,tandysson; Brandt, Beier; Guirassy