Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund face off in a rematch of last year’s UEFA Champions League final on Tuesday in this season’s Champions League group stage at Santiago Bernabeu. Carlo Ancelotti’s Blancos defeated BVB for the continental title at Wembley less than six months ago, securing the Spanish giants’ 15th UCL crown. Dortmund paid the price for missed opportunities on that day, but they have started this redesigned format in strong form.
Real bounced back from their loss at Lille OSC with victories over Villarreal and Celta Vigo on either side of the October international break. Their win last weekend helped them temporarily level with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga before El Clasico this weekend. Ancelotti and his squad can now only reflect on their 17-month unbeaten Champions League streak, but they have not lost at home in Europe since 2022.
Dortmund may be performing well in Europe, but they have been inconsistent in the Bundesliga so far, narrowly defeating St Pauli despite losing their previous two away matches against VfB Stuttgart and Union Berlin. BVB have faced Real seven times at Santiago Bernabeu without securing a victory, with only two of those encounters ending in a draw. Nuri Sahin’s team could become the first UCL side to fail to win in eight attempts at a single away venue.
Here are our storylines, details on how to watch the match, and more:
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How to watch and odds
Date: Tuesday, October 22 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Santiago Bernabeu – Madrid, Spain
Watch: Paramount+
Odds: Real -200; Draw +375; Dortmund +500
League Phase so far
Real have not appeared as dominant this season, suffering their first European defeat since May 2023 at the hands of Lille. Despite opening with a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart, Ancelotti’s team has only gathered three points, which may not be sufficient for a seeded knockout spot. BVB may still feel the sting of last year’s final loss, but a strong start in this season’s competition helps to alleviate the pain. Sahin’s side leads the group with six points from wins over Celtic and Club Brugge.
Team news
Real: Kylian Mbappe returned to scoring form against Celta Vigo and is likely to start. Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Brahim Diaz are sidelined, with Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo potential replacements.
Possible Real XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Bellingham, Tchouameni, Valverde; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Dortmund: Karim Adeyemi is expected to be out until late November, while Julien Duranville, Gio Reyna, and Yan Couto are also injured. Pascal Gross and Niklas Sule are doubtful, with Felix Nmecha or Jamie Bynoe-Gittens set to step in if necessary.
Possible Dortmund XI: Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Sabitzer; Malen, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy.
Prediction
This match was close earlier in the year and is likely to be so again. Expect Real to come out on top, although both teams are expected to score this time around due to Dortmund’s strong UCL form. Prediction: Real 2, Dortmund 1.
Matchday 3 TV schedule
All times Eastern