Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League Draw is…Okay?

Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League Draw is…Okay?

It will definitely take everyone a wee while to adapt to the new Champions League format. There is an argument that quite a few people haven’t yet cottoned on to how tricky it will be for teams to work out how to tackle it, with the impact on the Bundesliga campaign likely to be huge.

There will effectively be no dead rubbers, so teams will have to remain focussed and willing to go strong in almost every game that is played. Whereas the previous version would allow you to take it easy in one or two games, the ‘Swiss system’ won’t allow for that. The good news is that Borussia Dortmund’s draw wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.

Spanish Giants Likely to be Toughest Opponents

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Anyone who knows anything about football will have been dreading seeing Real Madrid come out of the hat. The Spanish giants simply know how to win in the Champions League, as Die Borussen found out to their detriment in the final earlier in the year. It won’t be much fun facing them again, especially given the fact that the match is taking place at the Bernabeu.

It will doubtless be trailed as a chance for Dortmund to ‘take revenge’, but boasting players like Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian MbappĂ©, Real will fancy their chances of taking all three points and are not a nice Pot 1 team for the Germans to have drawn.

Then there’s the fact that the other team that Der BVB got from Pot 1 was Barcelona. It certainly doesn’t make it particularly easy to have to take on two of the most successful ever Spanish clubs. The good news this time is that Dortmund will be at home for the Barcelona game, to say nothing of the fact that the Catalan club isn’t the force that it once was.

Even so, it’s not ideal to be going head-to-head with the pair of Spanish sides give the fact that they are amongst the strongest that Der Borussen could’ve drawn. The Barcelona game in particular could be decisive, given when in the competition it’s due to take place.

Other Teams Could’ve Been Worse

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There is a world in which Celtic can spring a surprise on Borussia Dortmund, but it isn’t exactly likely to happen. The Scottish side prides itself on its home stadium and the atmosphere that can be generated by the supporters, but that pales in comparison to the Yellow Wall.

There is certainly a scenario in which Der BVB could have six points on the board by the time that they have to travel to Spain to take on Real Madrid. That would ensure that they’re handily placed considering the nature of the way the competition is working this season. Can Dortmund get into that top eight and avoid extra games in January?

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Club Brugge away won’t be a gimme, but it’s also true that Der BVB could’ve seen a much tougher first game of the new format. Brugge finished third in the Belgian Pro League’s regular season and although they went on to win the play-offs, that isn’t exactly a team that the Champions League finalists should be scared of. Similarly, Bologna finished fifth in Serie A, losing six times and drawing 14 games across the 2023-2024 campaign.

The fact it’s away from home isn’t ideal, but it’s far from a nightmare draw. Shakhtar Donetsk are known to be tough opponents at home, but the fact that they have to come to Signal Iduna Park is ideal.

It’s Ideal Given the Club World Cup

As much as a lot of people aren’t really taking the new format of the Champions League into account when considering how much it will impact a season, there has also been a change to the Club World Cup. Whereas previously it was essentially a bye for the Champions League winners through to the final, the new format means that there are 12 sides representing UEFA in the new-look Club World Cup.

That means that Der Borussen will have some tricky fixtures to add into their calendar, with sides like Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan all lining up to try and be named the best team in the world.

With that in mind, it was crucial that Dortmund got a reasonably friendly Champions League draw. Having to face sides such as GNK Dinamo and Sturm Graz is perfect in terms of limiting the energy the club will expend during the Champions League matches. It will leave some in the tank for Club World Cup games whilst also trying to take on the Bundesliga.