The two defeats against Amsterdam have put Borussia Dortmund under pressure in the Champions League Group C. In Lisbon on 24 November, BVB will therefore face a final match for a place in the last 16.
Marco Rose didn’t beat around the bush after BVB’s 3-1 defeat on Wednesday night against Ajax Amsterdam and with an eye on the upcoming Champions League match in Lisbon: “We have six points, Lisbon has six points. It’s the direct duel that decides. That’s why this is a most important game for the group constellation, to have things in our own hands,” said the Dortmund coach, who has to take his team to Sporting on 24 November.
BVB won the first leg against Lisbon 1:0 in Dortmund, so they should be able to get a draw at Sporting to avoid having to rely on help from the already qualified Amsterdam side in the last matchday, when BVB face Besiktas at home.
Because at the end of the group stage, the direct comparison between Dortmund and Lisbon could be the deciding factor as to which team will advance to the round of 16 alongside Ajax and which will be relegated to the Europa League. Since UEFA abolished the away goals rule before the season, a 1:2 defeat (or any other defeat with a goal difference except 0:1) at Sporting would no longer be enough for BVB to win the direct comparison. Instead, after the points, the goal difference and the goals scored in the direct duels, the goal difference in all group games comes into play – and there, the BVB is currently clearly behind Lisbon (9:7) with 4:8 goals after four match days.
In the event of a draw in Lisbon, BVB should not score fewer points against Istanbul on the last matchday than Sporting did against Ajax at the same time. In the event of a Dortmund victory in Lisbon, however, BVB’s second place can no longer be taken away before the last matchday.
