A spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals will be on the line when LOSC Lille and Borussia Dortmund face off at Stade Pierre Mauroy on Wednesday.
The curtains will fall on the latest stage of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday with the final four games in the round of 16. The action on the day will start with LOSC Lille vs Borussia Dortmund at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
LOSC Lille reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 by finishing seventh in the opening phase, losing only two games in eight outings. However, the Ligue 1 giants have blown hot and cold in the last few weeks, winning only three of their last six matches across all competitions.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund had to take the scenic route to qualify for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 after finishing tenth in the standings during the opening phase. A 3-0 win on aggregate over Sporting CP helped the Black and Yellows continue their European journey.
However, the Bundesliga giants have been dreadful in domestic football, managing a two-game winning run only once in the top flight. The horrendous campaign has left Borussia Dortmund tenth in the Bundesliga standings, with fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt seven points ahead.
The first leg saw LOSC Lille come from a goal down to hold Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw, with Hakon Arnar Haraldsson scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
LOSC Lille
Bruno Genesio has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The LOSC Lille manager might be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Genesio is sweating over the fitness of Osame Sahraoui (match fitness) and Mitchell Bakker (muscle). The duo will face late fitness tests to determine their availability. However, Samuel Umtiti (knee), Edon Zhegrova (groin) and Tiago Santos (knee) remain on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Nabil Bentaleb is ineligible to feature in the UEFA Champions League.
Lucas Chevalier will take his spot between the sticks, with LOSC Lille lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The backline should feature Thomas Meunier, Bafode Diakite, Alexsandro, and Ismaily.
As for the midfield unit, Benjamin Andre, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Ngal’ayel Mukau should line up in the middle of the park, with the former looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Jonathan David will lead the line for Lille against Borussia Dortmund, with Ethan Mbappe and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily; Bouaddi, Andre, Mukau; Mbappe, David, Haraldsson
Borussia Dortmund
Unlike his counterpart in the LOSC Lille dugout, Niko Kovac has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Stade Pierre Mauroy. The Borussia Dortmund manager might be without only three first-team players on Wednesday.
Kovac is sweating over Carney Chukwuemeka’s fitness, with the youngster struggling with a thigh injury. However, Daniel Svensson and Felix Nmecha remain on the sidelines due to their knee issues.
Gregor Kobel is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs LOSC Lille on Wednesday. The backline should feature Julian Ryerson, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ramy Bensebaini.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Gross in the double pivot. Julian Brandt will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Jamie Gittens and Karim Adeyemi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will spearhead the Borussia Dortmund attack against LOSC Lille on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
Key Stats
- LOSC Lille and Borussia Dortmund have locked horns thrice across UEFA competitions, with each match ending in a draw. All three meetings have produced under 2.5 goals.
- LOSC Lille have lost only one of their last eight games in the UEFA Champions League (W5 D2).
- Borussia Dortmund have kept three clean sheets in their six most recent games. The Black and Yellows have also failed to score in three games during that period.
- Les Dogues enjoyed an unbeaten run at home in the opening phase. However, LOSC Lille have won only one of their five home games against German clubs.
- Seven of Borussia Dortmund’s nine losses against French opponents have come on their travels.
Player to Watch
Serhou Guirassy
While Jonathan David and Jamie Gittens were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Serhou Guirassy as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash in the round of 16 between LOSC Lille and Borussia Dortmund.
The French-born striker has previously played for LOSC Lille but could not make his mark for Les Dogues. Meanwhile, Bruno Genesio also knows Guirassy well, managing him for 60 games during their time together at Stade Rennais. So, the Lille manager should create specific plans for Guirassy, although the top scorer in this season’s Champions League will be the go-to man for Borussia Dortmund.
Prediction
LOSC Lille 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
There was nothing to separate Lille and Borussia Dortmund in the first leg, and Wednesday’s clash should also be a closely contested affair. However, the Black and Yellows have been poor travellers, and their record in France is nothing to write home about.
Meanwhile, Lille’s home record in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League is exceptional, and the Ligue 1 giants are yet to lose at Stade Pierre Mauroy in a European game this term. That should continue on Wednesday, and The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Bruno Genesio and his charges.
