Borussia Dortmund’s quest to make another deep run in the UEFA Champions League continues on Tuesday in the first leg of the round of 16, when they face Lille.
Last season’s finalists Dortmund enjoyed a fairly straightforward outing in the knockout phase playoffs, beating Sporting Lisbon 3-0 on aggregate in a European campaign that has served as a reprieve for their poor Bundesliga season. Lille, meanwhile, were one of the surprise successes of the league phase and finished inside the top eight, earning direct passageway to the round of 16.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, March 4 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Signal Iduna Park — Dortmund, Germany
- TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Borussia Dortmund -165; Draw +310; Lille +450
Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
Storylines
Dortmund are still in the early stages of working with new manager Niko Kovac, though they have lost just once in seven games since he took over. That includes the two-legged knockout phase playoffs, in which their 3-0 win at Sporting Lisbon was enough to see them through with a 0-0 draw at home. Dortmund will undoubtedly look to capture some of that magic in their latest Champions League test, especially with the help of Serhou Guirassy, who has 24 goals across all competitions this season.
Getting the better of Lille, though, may be easier said than done. Dortmund might be Champions League regulars compared to Lille, who have been in the competition on and off over the last decade, but the French side made the most of their opportunities in the league phase. They notched big wins over both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and also managed a draw against Juventus and outscored the opposition 17 to nine in eight games. Canada international Jonathan David had a particularly successful league phase with eight goals of his own, so he could give Lille a sizable advantage as they target their first-ever trip to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Prediction
This could be a closely contested game considering the strengths of both teams, but expect goals from as each side boasts very capable goalscorers. The first leg may just tip in the favor of Dortmund, but not by a margin that would deem the second leg irrelevant. Pick: Borussia Dortmund 2, Lille 1
Knockout phase playoffs TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
