Confirmed lineups: Borussia Dortmund vs. Sturm Graz
With exactly an hour to go until tonight's kick-off, Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin has announced his starting eleven to take on a Sturm Graz side who are currently first in the Austrian Bundesliga but have struggled thus far in Europe's premier competition.
Amid an injury crisis and a run of losses that spanned three consecutive games, BVB lifted the spirits with a dominant 2-1 win over RB Leipzig last Saturday evening. With little wiggle room available due to lack of fit personnel, Sahin has unsurprisingly stuck with an unchanged team.
Alexander Meyer remains in goal with Gregor Kobel absent through injury. With no natural right-back available, Pascal Groß fills in with skipper Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck alongside Ramy Bensebaini in the back four.
Felix Nmecha sits in the pocket of midfield with Marcel Sabitzer and Julian Brandt positioned centrally. Maxi Beier looks to maintain form on the right, with Jamie Gittens on the left wing, and Serhou Guirassy leading the line up top.
As for the visitors, Christian Ilzer's team were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Rapid Wien as former Augsburg striker Dion Beljo struck late in added time. The 47-year-old head coach has made one alteration tonight with Scottish full-back Max Johnston replacing Niklas Geyerhofer.
Lavalee drops into a centre-half role to accommodate the move, with Gazibegović switching to the left also. Otar Kiteishvili captains the Austrian club from the lefy side of midfield.
Confirmed Borussia Dortmund vs. Sturm Graz lineups:
Borussia Dortmund (4-1-4-1): Meyer - Groß, Can (c), Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Sabitzer, Nmecha - Beier, Brandt, Gittens - Guirassy
Sturm Graz (4-1-2-1-2): Sherpen - Johnston, Aiwu, Lavalee, Gazibegović - Chukwuani - Yalcouyé, Kiteishvili (c) - Böving - Biereth, Jatta