Two Champions League heavyweights go head-to-head on the opening night of UEFA's top-tier club competition
The Champions League returns on Tuesday, with Juventus set to welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Allianz Stadium as the Italian hosts will be looking to maintain their flawless start to the season, having edged out rivals Inter Milan 4-3 in Serie A on Saturday.
Juventus found themselves trailing 3-2 against Inter after Marcus Thuram’s 76th-minute strike, but two late goals from the 83rd minute onward secured a third straight league win, leaving the Old Lady second in the table behind Napoli on goal difference. This result means Juventus have won all three of their Serie A matches in the 2025-26 campaign, and they have also triumphed in four of their last six competitive fixtures, with both defeats coming in the Club World Cup.
Igor Tudor’s side conceded for the first time this season against Inter, but they have now scored seven goals in three matches. Last season, Juventus struggled in the Champions League, finishing 20th in the league phase with nine points. Although they qualified for the round of 16 playoff, their European hopes were dashed after a 4-3 aggregate defeat to PSV Eindhoven in February.
Dortmund’s win over Heidenheim was aided by their opponents being reduced to 10 men for nearly 70 minutes, but BVB still impressed by creating three clear chances and restricting Heidenheim to just one shot on target. The victory marked Dortmund’s second consecutive clean sheet and their third in four matches this season—matching their total from their previous 19 games.
Last season, Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. After suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat in the first leg, they managed a 3-1 win in the return fixture but ultimately exited the competition. The Black and Yellow have not faced Juventus in a competitive match since the 2014-15 season, when they lost 5-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. However, Dortmund did win their two meetings with the Italian side prior to that encounter.