5 reasons Dortmund will beat Juve

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1) Guirassy on fire

Guirassy enjoyed a fantastic 2024/25, particularly shining in the Champions League. No player in the competition found the back of the net more often than the Guinea international, whose hat-trick against Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg – Dortmund’s last game of the competition - took his tally to 13 strikes from 14 outings.

This term, he has picked up where he left off last season (which yielded 34 goals in 45 games across all competitions), finding the back of the net five times in the campaign’s opening four fixtures. He remains in the form of his life, and it therefore feels inevitable that he will impress once again on the continent’s biggest stage.

Watch: All of Serhou Guirassy's Bundesliga goals 

2) New signings ready to make their mark

Several new faces could make their bow in the competition for Dortmund. Midfielder Jobe Bellingham and centre-back Aarón Anselmino are yet to play in the Champions League at all. Still, the former has adapted to every step up in quality he has faced throughout his career so far, while the latter’s display in Dortmund’s 3-0 victory over Union Berlin before the international break suggests he will not be fazed by continental football either - although he did miss the recent 2-0 triumph at Heidenheim with a muscle issue.

Fábio Silva is sidelined with a groin injury, but Carney Chukwuemeka made three Champions League appearances for Chelsea during his time in London and therefore has an idea of what this competition is all about. His quality on the ball and quick feet could give Juventus plenty to worry about if he makes an appearance on Tuesday.

3) Comfortable in the group stage

In recent seasons, Dortmund have performed well in the group stage/league phase of the Champions League. They finished just one point outside the top eight last season, with only a late Barcelona goal at Signal Iduna Park denying them a draw that would have clinched direct progression to the last 16.

In 2023/24, they were drawn in the proverbial ‘Group of Death’ alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United and AC Milan, yet finished top of the group with 11 points. The year before that, only a late comeback prevented them from getting something at Manchester City, who inflicted their only loss in Group G.

All in all, they have lost just five of their past 20 matches in the competition’s first stage.

4) Stability under Kovač 

After steering Dortmund into the Champions League last season, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight Bundesliga games, Kovač was rewarded with a new two-year contract by the Black-Yellows. That sends a clear message that Dortmund have complete trust in their head coach as they aim to return to Germany and Europe’s summit.

"Conviction, intensity and passion," is what sporting director Sebastian Kehl recently said of Kovač, and it is these traits that have helped the 53-year-old get a more consistent tune out of his players. They are now unbeaten in their past 11 league matches, while they already have eight goals from their first three Bundesliga games this season. With each passing game, Kovač’s ideas are being implemented with more confidence from his players, which can only be a good thing.

5) Strong pedigree in Europe

In the last couple of seasons, Dortmund have been able to mix it with the very best in the Champions League. They reached the final in 2023/24, eventually losing 2-0 to Real Madrid, while they were knocked out in the last eight by Barcelona last time out but almost managed to overturn a large first-leg deficit.

Dortmund also have fond memories of facing Juventus. After all, the Old Lady were BVB’s opponents in the 1997 final, when the Ruhr-based outfit prevailed 3-1 in Munich to win the competition for the first and only time. Kovač and Co. will be aware of that history, but their showings against top opposition in more recent years will be their inspiration on this occasion.