Borussia Dortmund will have a chance to rectify their 3:2 deficit in the first leg as they travel to Monaco in the second leg on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s men are currently having a difficult period so far, following the terror attacks on their team bus just a week ago. The Black and Yellows will require at least a 2:0 win if they are to have any hopes of getting through to the next round. They will be looking to continue their momentum after a 2:1 win over Eintracht in the weekend. Here is the predicted Dortmund lineup to feature against the Ligue 1 leaders on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper: Roman Burki has been a pretty good performer in the Champions League so far. The Swiss goalkeeper made a couple of decent saves in the first leg and will be hoping for more of the same in Monaco.
Right Back: Lukasz Piszczek’s mistake in the first leg cost Dortmund dearly. The Polish international will be looking to make amends with a strong defensive performance in the second leg.
Centre Back(R): Sokratis was arguably the best player in the first leg. The Greek defender is in scintillating form at the moment and recently scored from a fantastic long range effort against Eintracht Frankfurt, which proved to be the winner in weekend’s Bundesliga game.
Centre Back(L): Sven Bender was another player, who made a terrifying mistake in the first leg by giving away an own goal. However, the 27-year-old defender was solid in weekend’s fixture. He should be ready for the big encounter against Monaco.
Left Back: Marcel Schmelzer’s comeback to full fitness would be a big plus for the visitors. The 28-year-old looked comfortable in the recent game versus Eintracht. His link-up play on the left flank will be very crucial.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Julian Weigl will have to play a big role in the heart of the Dortmund midfield. Fortunately for the 21-year-old, Nuri Sahin will partner alongside to make the job easier for the young German International midfielder.
Central Defensive Midfielder: As stated before, Nuri Sahin will play a huge role alongside Julian Weigl in midfield. The Turkish international was absolutely phenomenal after coming on as a sub in the first leg. He also followed it up with an equally well-drilled performance vs Eintracht.
Right Wing: It would be a tough decision for Thomas Tuchel to choose between either of Christian Pulisic or Ousmane Dembele. The French International, however, is widely expected to feature ahead of the American simply because of his experience of playing against Monaco in the past. However, Pulisic will be a great option for Tuchel on the bench nonetheless.
Central Attacking Midfield: Shinji Kagawa has been so impressive that it seems as if the Japanese International is tailor-made for the attacking midfield position. He has been excellent in almost each and every game for Dortmund in the past six or seven matches. He will play a key role in breaking down the opposition defence.
Left Wing: Marco Reus came back with a bang as he scored after just three minutes from coming back. Reus will no doubt be the main man for the black and yellows as they aim to breach Monaco’s defence.
Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hasn’t been on the scoring run as he would have liked in the past few matches. However, he still remains Monaco’s biggest threat in front of goal. The Gabonese International also scored against Frankfurt a few days ago and his form will be vital for Thomas Tuchel’s men.
