Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal Prediction, Odds & Best Bets – September 8, 2026

Our weekend soccer card delivered a clean sweep, with all five Best Bets landing across the Serie A roundup and Sunday’s two H2H previews. Two of the four value picks also delivered (with excellent odds, though), led by Arsenal to beat Chelsea with both teams scoring at +200 and Inter Milan vs Napoli at +250. Our look now turns to Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League opener between Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal.

H2H: Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal

These teams have met only once in competitive action, and it could hardly have gone better for the home side. Niko Kovac’s men recorded a 4-0 home victory in the Champions League proper last November, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice before Karim Adeyemi and Daniel Svensson completed the rout. Villarreal actually competed reasonably well before Juan Foyth’s early second-half red card, but the game quickly became one-sided once the Spanish side were reduced to ten men.

According to UEFA’s official match facts, Dortmund have lost only two of their last 15 home games against Spanish clubs, winning nine. Villarreal are winless across their last six trips to Germany and have taken only two victories from their ten most recent meetings with Bundesliga clubs.

Borussia Dortmund – Current Form and Team News

Dortmund’s competitive season began with a 2-1 German Super Cup defeat to bitter rivals Bayern Munich, but their response has been emphatic. A 2-0 win over Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga opener was followed by a routine 5-0 DFB-Pokal victory against fifth-tier HEBC Hamburg. BVB then produced their most dramatic performance yet at Hoffenheim, recovering from 2-0 down to win 3-2 through Serhou Guirassy, Fabio Silva and a late Albian Hajdari own goal.

The comeback demonstrated Dortmund’s firepower without hiding their flaws. Hoffenheim were better for around an hour and repeatedly exposed a patched-up defense before Guirassy transformed the game. Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri also helped create the winner from the bench. Tuesday may come too soon for his first start, but not for him to possibly influence the contest at some point.

This is Borussia Dortmund’s 11th consecutive Champions League campaign, and they have lost only two of their last 22 home matches in the competition. Their 16 league-phase fixtures across the last two editions produced 70 goals: an extraordinary average of 4.38 per game.

Kovac has a difficult defensive selection to solve. Germany international Nico Schlotterbeck has returned to individual training but remains short of fitness and suspended, while Ramy Bensebaini is unavailable and veteran Emre Can has a long-term knee injury. Filippo Mane is doubtful after going off at Hoffenheim, potentially leaving Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton and Svensson as the back three. Joey Veerman replaced Felix Nmecha at halftime overt ehe weekend and the Netherlands midfielder could earn his first Dortmund start.

Veerman and Nmecha are competing for one midfield place, while Nwaneri and Fabio Silva offer Dortmund attacking alternatives.

Villarreal – Current Form and Team News

Villarreal’s third-place finish last season promised another exciting campaign, but Inigo Pérez is still waiting for his first competitive victory. The Yellow Submarine began with 2-2 away draws against Racing Santander and Atletico Madrid. Taking a point at the Metropolitano was respectable; yet losing 1-0 at Alaves was much harder to excuse.

Their homecoming only deepened the concern. Former Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped sink the Yellow Submarine, scoring a late winner and creating Deportivo La Coruna’s other two goals in a 3-2 comeback at La Ceramica. Villarreal led twice but failed to manage either advantage and were jeered at full-time. They sit 16th with two points, their first winless four-game start since 2009/10.

There is too much talent in this Villarreal squad for the winless sequence to last forever. Nicolas Pepe has been their best performer and already has two league goals, while Georges Mikautadze, Tajon Buchanan and Santi Comesaña are pushing for recalls. Nathan Saliba also impressed on debut.

The European outlook is less encouraging. Villarreal finished 35th last season with one point from eight games, have never won a Champions League opener, and have lost their last five European away matches without scoring. Furthermore, Napoli, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are their next three opponents.

Juan Foyth is ruled out with a muscular problem, while Carlos Romero is doubtful. Spanish reporting before the trip indicates that Pau Navarro could continue in defense, with Logan Costa another option.

Possible Starting XIs of Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal

Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel – Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton, Daniel Svensson – Julian Ryerson, Joey Veerman, Jobe Bellingham, Maximilian Beier – Konstantinos Karetsas, Marcel Sabitzer – Serhou Guirassy. (3-4-2-1)

Villarreal: Luiz Júnior – Santiago Mouriño, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Carlos Romero – Nicolas Pépé, Pape Gueye, Santi Comesaña, Tajon Buchanan – Gerard Moreno, Georges Mikautadze. (4-4-2)

Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal Betting Odds and Prediction

Borussia Dortmund are -143 favorites at EveryGame, with the draw priced at +300 and Villarreal available at +290. BVB have won three consecutive domestic matches, whereas the Yellow Submarine crew remain winless through four La Liga rounds. At first glance, Dortmund should prevail, but Villarreal possess enough attacking quality to make a goals-based combination more appealing than simply backing the German side.

Thus, our Best Bet goes on Borussia Dortmund or Draw (1X) and Over 2.5 Goals at -118. It covers our pick if Villarreal battle a high-scoring draw while marking the most plausible home wins. Dortmund’s last 16 league-phase fixtures averaged 4.38 goals, Villarreal conceded at least twice in six of their final seven Champions League games last season, and BVB’s reshuffled defense gave Hoffenheim several clear openings. For example, scores such as 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 3-2 and 2-2 all cash the bet.

The Value Pick is First-Half Over 1.5 Goals at +120. Dortmund scored twice before halftime against HSV and four in the cup, while Villarreal’s first and fourth league matches reached the break at 2-2 and 1-1.

We believe the Yellow Submarine will eventually fire its torpedo and surprise an opponent that does not see it coming. Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, however, looks like the wrong target at the wrong time. Villarreal can contribute to the scoreline, but BVB’s superior confidence, depth and home advantage should eventually earn them three points.

Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal Best Bet: Dortmund or Draw (1X) and Over 2.5 Goals (-118 at EveryGame)

Value Pick: First-Half – Over 1.5 Goals (+120 at EveryGame)