Confirmed lineups: Dinamo Zagreb vs. Borussia Dortmund
Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images. |
With exactly an hour to go until kick-off, Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin has announced his starting eleven to take on a Dinamo Zagreb team who currently sit third in the Croatian domestic league and 4 points behind leaders Hajduk Split after 14 games.
The club from North Rhine-Westphalia have struggled for form on the road this season, but they have been pretty consistent in Europe's premier competition. A 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid aside, BVB have notched 9 points from their 1-0 win over Sturm Graz, a 7-1 hammering of Celtic, and a 3-0 triumph against Club Brugge.
Tonight, Dortmund make a solitary change to their winning line-up which comprehensively defeated Freiburg 4-0 on Saturday as Pascal Groß takes over the right-back slot from Julian Ryerson. Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck join him with Rami Bensebaini on the left side of defence. Gregor Kobel also lines out between the posts.
In midfield, Marcel Sabitzer and captain Julian Brandt play either side of the in-form Felix Nmecha who continues in the the sole six role. Moving into the attacking third, Donyell Malen starts off the left with Jamie Gittens on the right. Maximilian Beier will be looking to maintain his hot streak as the young German leads the line.
As for the visitors, they come into the game after a disappointing 0-0 stalemate at home to second-place Rijeka last weekend. Head coach Nenad Bjelica, formerly of Union Berlin fame, has opted to start with a 4-1-4-1 formation including promising Croatian talents such as Marko Rog on the right wing and Martin Baturina in midfield. Stefan Ristovski captains the side from right full-back.
Official lineups below:
Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Kobel - Groß, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Sabitzer, Nmecha, Brandt (c) - Malen, Beier, Gittens
Dinamo Zagreb (4-5-1): Zagorac - Ristovski (c), Theophile-Catherine, Torrente, Pierre-Gabriel - Bernauer - Rog, Baturina, Pavić, Stojković - Kačavenda