With the OSC Lille Has Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 of the Champions League Get a rather easy opponent – at least that’s how you think.
After all, the team from northern France has not yet torn trees out of international. In the European Cup, “The Movement” initially got beyond the round of 16. Last season it was enough in the Conference League For the quarter -finals.
Victories against Real and Atletico
However, if you look at the results of the current Champions League season, you will see that it may not be so easy for BVB. Because in the premier class the Olympique Sporting Club Real Madrid 1-0, celebrated a 3-1 win at Atletico Madrid and won a point against Juventus Turin at 1-1.
In addition, there was a 2-1 at FC Bologna and finally a full 6: 1 against Feyenoord Rotterdam – the team that had defeated FC Bayern Munich 3-0 shortly before.
At 1-2 at FC Liverpool The blue-red also hit well. That is why the team also qualified directly for the round of 16 – in contrast to the Dotmunders who had to go through the intermediate round.
2021 still French champion
Lille is also the only club in the French Ligue 1 The dominance of Paris recently Saint-Germain could interrupt. In 2021 the club celebrated the championship surprisingly in the storm with the top goal scorer Burak Yılmaz (“Bulle vom Bosphorus”).
The Dortmunders will first play against Lille on Tuesday (from 9 p.m. in the full radio report and in the live ticker at the sports show) and then appear on Wednesday (12.03.2025) Stade Pierre Mauroy for the second leg.
Kovac with respect: “hard piece of work”
One who knows exactly what awaits him is BVB coach Niko Kovac. When the AS Monaco coach, the Kroate met the Losc three times in Ligue 1 – and could never win.
“I know the French league. I know Osc Lille. I know what quality has been in this club for years. When I was in Monaco, you have become master”remembers Kovac: “It will be a heavier chunk. We must not think that there will be two simple games just because we are the Bundesliga team. On the contrary: it will be a tough piece of work.”
Clear defeat at PSG
Lille is currently fifth in the home league and is fighting for a Champions League place. However, there was a clear 1: 4 defeat at the leader PSG at the weekend. Paris already led 4-0 at the break, and only substitute Jonathan David scored the honor goal in the 80th minute.
There would be more in this season if the team would not always afford to be unexplained – as with the 0: 1 in Saint-Etienne and in 1-2 against Le Havre. Both opponents were the bottom of the table at the time of the games.
The showpiece is the defense, David hits and meets
The demolition of the team of coach Bruno Genesio is the defense. Lille conceded 23 goals in Ligue 1, only Paris had to take fewer hits.
Before goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, BaFoder forms Diakite, Alexsandro, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Thomas Meunier a strong chain of four, and Andre Gomes pulls the strings in midfield. The Dortmunders should have the star of the team in particular. The Canadian center forward Jonathan David made 20 goals in 36 competitive games and also scored against Real, Atletico, Liverpool and Juventus.
Reunion with Meunier
Right -back Meunier played for Borussia from 2020 to 2024, known in Dortmund is also Mitchel Bakker, who was two years for Bayer Leverkusen. However, there will be no reunion with the long -time Schalke Nabil Bentaleb.
According to his cardiac arrest, he has been back in the past year, but not registered for the Champions League. Kylian Mbappe’s younger brother Ethan is also in the squad, who is still waiting for his breakthrough in Lille.