Borussia Dortmund prepare to go head to head with European champions Real Madrid during the week in what will be the most anticipated UEFA Champions League clash of the group stage Round 2.

Four in a row?

Bundesliga giants have a good record against Real Madrid of late with Thomas Tuchel’s men having recorded three consecutive home wins over Los Blancos in the UEFA Champions League. Five of the six last meetings between the two sides were won by home sides and Dortmund have every reason to feel optimistic ahead of Real Madrid’s visit on Tuesday. More so knowing that Thomas Tuchel’s men are currently enjoying a fantastic form, having won eight of their last ten matches across all competitions. With 20 goals scored in last three matches and only one conceded, Dortmund have made a perfect comeback from their 1-0 defeat to RB Leipzig and will be highly motivated to extend their great run against high-profile opposition. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been the most outstanding performer for Borussia Dortmund early in the season having already taken his tally to five goals in four Bundesliga matches, but the 27-year-old is in doubt for the Champions League clash against the team he publicly described as his dream destination in multiple occasions.

Thomas Tuchel will be hopeful his star striker will recover from a knock he picked in the 3-1 win over Freiburg n Friday. Hosts will however have to do without Bartra, Bender, Durm and Reus, who are all suffering from their respective injuries.

Real Madrid losing their grip?

Following an impressive opening to the new season which saw them extend their winning run from the finish of last term, Real Madrid appear to be slowing down. The problems were evident in their open in UEFA Champions League match against Sporting when Los Blancos left it late to come from behind and record a dying-minutes victory thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata who saved the day. Zinedine Zidane’s men went on to win at Espanyol, but then notched back-to-back draws against Villarreal and Las Palmas leaving their manager under huge pressure. And even though two consecutive draws would perhaps not have been so dramatic results elsewhere, they have been described as big failure for Real Madrid. Los Blancos need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible, but are well aware that trip to Borussia Dortmund is not the perfect opportunity to do so. The game in Germany holds great importance for the Spanish giants who can win a lot and lose even more if they fail to grab the all three points on Tuesday night.

Fabio Coentrao is still waiting for his debut in the new season, but the Borussia Dortmund clash is coming too early for the Portuguese defender. ZInedine Zidane will have more problems in defence department as Pepe and Marcelo are also injured for the occasion, while the midfielder Casemiro is completing the injury list.

Verdict

Games between Dortmund and Real Madrid rarely lack excitement and we are sure that Tuesday’s encounter will be no exception from the rule. Home sides usually get out on top and we believe that there is good value in betting on Borussia Dortmund on this particular occasion, knowing that Real Madrid are struggling to restore their winning form that appears to have left them in last couple of games.

Top pick: Dortmund   2.60 (8/5) @WilliamHill

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score – Yes   1.44 (4/9) @Bet365

Alternative pick 2: Over 2.5 goals   1.5 (1/2) @PaddyPower