Villarreal have lost their last six Champions League matches, and the last one was at this ground, 4-0.

Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga after three straight wins, the latest a 3-2 comeback at Hoffenheim from two goals down. Villarreal are 16th in La Liga with two points from four games and no win yet under Inigo Perez.

On paper this is the softest fixture either side gets in the league phase. For one of them it's the only soft one.

Before we get to the full preview, the key details:

Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday 1

Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund

Date: Wednesday 9 September 2026

Start Time: 5:00am AEST

Quick Picks

Our Pick: Win-Draw-Win: Dortmund

Same Game Multi: Win-Draw-Win: Dortmund + Over/Under Goals: Over Goals + Half-Time Result: Dortmund

Alternative Pick: Both Teams To Score: No

Villarreal Are Still Waiting for Something to Go Right

Two points from four, two defeats in a row, and the latest one hurt: 3-2 at newly promoted Deportivo after leading twice.

The European record is worse. Six straight Champions League defeats, a 35th-place finish in last season's league phase, and a first trip to Dortmund in November that ended 4-0 with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice, Fabio Silva missing a penalty and Juan Foyth sent off. 

Both teams have failed to score in each of Villarreal's last five Champions League away games, which is another way of saying Villarreal didn't.

Their draw this season includes Napoli, Liverpool and PSG. If there's a night to take something, it's this one, and the squad knows it. Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno give them enough up front to threaten a defence as thin as Dortmund's is right now.

Dortmund's Back Line Is Held Together With Tape

Niko Kovac has a winning team and almost no defenders. Nico Schlotterbeck is still out with the ankle injury from the World Cup, Emre Can is a long-term ACL absentee, Ramy Bensebaini is suspended, and Filippo Mane limped off against Hoffenheim and is a serious doubt.

New signing Giannis Konstantelias tore his ACL on his Bundesliga debut. Expect a back three of Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and Daniel Svensson, with Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier at wing-back.

Further forward it's a different story. Guirassy leads the line, Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha run the midfield, Konstantinos Karetsas and Ethan Nwaneri are the new creative pieces, and Nwaneri's forced own goal was the winner at Hoffenheim.

Villarreal have Foyth and Carlos Romero doubtful after both missed the Deportivo game.

Goals Have Followed Dortmund Against Spanish Sides

Over Goals has landed in each of Dortmund's last six Champions League games against teams from Spain, and the state of both defences suggests a seventh. Dortmund's home matches this season are averaging three goals.

The same game multi pairs a Dortmund win with the overs and a half-time lead, which fits a side that has started fast at home under Kovac.

The both-teams-to-score line is the one to think about. Villarreal's record on the road in Europe says no, and Dortmund's defensive injuries say yes.

Handicap markets are relevant given the 4-0 last time, and Guirassy in the goalscorer markets is the obvious one. For the latest Dortmund vs Villarreal odds and markets, check out the dedicated odds page at Sportsbet.

Dortmund vs Villarreal Prediction

Dortmund to win. Three wins running, a home crowd, a Villarreal side that hasn't won a game of any kind this season and hasn't scored away in Europe in five attempts.

The risk is real: Dortmund could line up with two centre-backs who've barely played together, and Villarreal do have players who can punish that. They took the lead twice at Deportivo.

But they also lost, which is the story of their season so far. Dortmund 2-1, and a clean sheet would be a bonus rather than the base case.