Nuri Sahin's Borussia Dortmund will hope to bounce back from their humiliating defeat against Real Madrid in their last Champions League match when they host Sturm Graz on Tuesday at Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund were beaten 5-2 by Real in their third game in the competition on October 22 despite initially leading 2-0 and are 11th in the Champions League table with six points from three games, while Austrian champions Sturm Graz are fifth last in 32nd place with no points.
Match preview
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Sahin has come under severe pressure recently for his side's performances, with the team being knocked out of the second round of the DFB-Pokal on October 29 when they lost 1-0 against Wolfsburg.
However, BVB did overcome RB Leipzig 2-1 in their last outing on Saturday, becoming the first domestic club to beat Die Roten Bullen this term.
Sahin said in the aftermath of his side's victory that their performance against Leipzig was their best of the season, praising his players for stepping up in spite of the injury issues his team face.
Dortmund are now fifth in the Bundesliga with 16 points from nine matchweeks and are level on points with fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who occupy the division's final Champions League qualification spot.
BVB have lost four of their last six matches, conceding 12 goals and scoring eight times in that period.
Despite their struggles of late, the hosts still boast a phenomenal home record having won their last nine games at Signal Iduna Park, losing just two of their 20 most recent matches at home.
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Opponents Sturm Graz lost 2-0 against Sporting Lisbon in their third Champions League game on October 22, a match in which they produced 11 shots and one big chance compared to Sporting's 15 shots and three big chances.
To their credit, the visitors are first in the Austrian Bundesliga with 26 points from 12 league fixtures and are three points clear of second-placed Rapid Vienna.
Manager Christian Ilzer's side have scored 27 goals and conceded on 14 occasions in the league, and these records make them the division's best offensive and joint fourth-best defensive side.
Sturm Graz have won four of their six most recent games, losing one and drawing one, but they have alarmingly lost their last 10 fixtures in the Champions League.
Of their 16 away games in Europe's premier competition, the visitors have lost 10, drawn four and won just two times and have been defeated in seven and drawn two of their last nine games on the road in the Champions League.
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Team News
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Dortmund have numerous absentees, including goalkeeper Gregor Kobel until late November, while defenders Julian Ryerson, Yan Couto, Waldemar Anton and Niklas Sule will also miss out.
Sahin could field a backline consisting of Pascal Gross, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini in front of goalkeeper Alexander Meyer.
Attackers Giovanni Reyna, Julien Duranville and Karim Adeyemi are unavailable, while midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is not scheduled to return until late November, though Kjell Watjen could return in the next few days.
Felix Nmecha may feature at the base of midfield behind forwards Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Cole Campbell and Serhou Guirassy.
As for the visitors, they will be without midfielder Jon Gorenc-Stankovic for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, while defenders Gregory Wuthrich and Alexandar Borkovic are unavailable.
Expect Jusuf Gazibegovic, Emanuel Aiwu, Niklas Geyrhofer and Dimitri Lavalee to start in defence behind a double pivot featuring Tomi Horvat and Tochi Chukwuani.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Meyer; Gross, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Azhil, Nmecha, Brandt; Campbell, Guirassy, Bynoe-Gittens
Sturm Graz possible starting lineup:
Scherpen; Gazibegovic, Aiwu, Geyrhofer, Lavalee; Yalcouye, Horvat, Chukwuani, Boving; Jatta, Biereth
We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Sturm Graz
Considering the injury crisis that Dortmund are currently facing, it would not be surprising if they conceded first.
However, Sturm Graz could find it difficult to hold onto a lead given the hosts' formidable record at home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
