Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal prediction 25.11.2025 | Champions League

For some years now, Dortmund’s relationship with the Champions League has been a curious fusion of gleaming ambition and bitter disappointment.

The Black and Yellows have gotten to the quarter final twice in the past five years and once even made it to the final in 2024 but the prize has eluded them.

Nonetheless, seven points from four games this campaign still leaves them in a decent position to challenge for automatic qualification if they can settle themselves.

Recent form doesn’t do their case any favours and the nine goals they have let in over the last five games speaks of a back line that appear to be unsteady.

Kovač will once more be missing Niklas Süle and Ramy Bensebaini through injury, while he still has two players ineligible for European games.

Villarreal have shown in the past few years that they are able to punch well above their weight in Europe. A semi final appearance in 2026 and a quarter final last season have shown their ceiling to be higher than many assume, although this year’s campaign has read like one that took the scenic route.

They remain one of nine sides still searching for a first League Phase win, and the numbers look rough at a glance. Three defeats, one draw and six goals conceded tell their own story, and the three consecutive away losses in Europe don’t make Tuesday’s trip feel any more welcoming for their supporters.

Even so, you can sense a bit of renewed belief after the league wins over Espanyol before the break and Mallorca last weekend. Those aren’t season-defining victories, but they might steady the mood enough for the Yellow Submarine to travel to Dortmund with at least a flicker of confidence.