Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Last week's 1:1 draw in Germany set up a finely poised rematch, with both sides likely to play cautiously once again. Borussia Dortmund’s greater experience in European football should allow them to take control and move one step closer to the quarter-finals.
Lille
Lille have struggled for consistency, winning just three matches across all competitions since 4 February. Their form included an embarrassing French Cup elimination by Dunkerque (1:2 on penalties) and defeats to Havre (1:2) and Paris Saint-Germain (1:4) in Ligue 1. At Signal Iduna Park, they produced just 0.11 xG before half-time, failing to register a shot on target in the first 45 minutes. Hákon Haraldsson's goal was their only attempt on target in the entire match. Manager Bruno Génésio rotated his squad in Saturday’s 1:0 win over Montpellier, where Jonathan David's goal proved decisive, but the lack of attacking creativity remains a concern.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund, under Niko Kovač, are still searching for consistency. At the weekend, they suffered an undeserved 0:1 defeat to Augsburg, despite outshooting their opponents (14-6) and generating 1.11 xG compared to Augsburg's 0.20. Despite this setback, Dortmund have won three of their last four away matches, scoring seven goals across those games. The squad is nearly at full strength, with only Daniel Svensson and Carney Chukwuemeka unavailable, both of whom usually feature as substitutes.
Lille vs Borussia Dortmund Prediction
Without Edon Zhegrova, Lille lack creativity in attack, while Borussia Dortmund see the Champions League as their last realistic chance at silverware this season. Expect Dortmund’s big-game players to step up and secure qualification for the quarter-finals.
