Borussia Dortmund are hoping to secure qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League as they lock horns with Lazio on Wednesday. The Black and Yellows are leading the Group F with nine points on the board, meaning a win this midweek could seal not only their qualification to the next round but also the first place in the table.
Predicted Borussia Dortmund Lineup Vs Lazio
Defence
Borussia Dortmund suffered a major blow on Saturday when Thomas Meunier picked up an injury. The Belgian is believed to be out for a few weeks, so we can expect Felix Passlack to start at right wingback.
Raphael Guerreiro, meanwhile, has returned to team training following a minor injury. Unfortunately, there has been no update regarding the fitness of Nico Schulz, so it won’t be surprising to see Thorgan Hazard operating at left-back, though he will primarily be featuring as a wing-back.
Dan-Axel Zagadou’s fitness also remains a question, so Lucien Favre is likely to stick with a back three of Manuel Akanji, Mats Hummels and Emre Can while Roman Burki should retain his place in goal, ahead of Marwin Hitz.
Midfield
Favre could shuffle his pack in central midfield despite the importance of this fixture. Jude Bellingham, in particular, surprisingly didn’t feature on Saturday, so th Englishman could come into the side.
He is likely to partner Thomas Delaney in the double-pivot, although Favre does have options including the in-form Mahmoud Dahoud and Julian Brandt, although the latter has been in woeful form this season.
Attack
Meanwhile, in the attacking department, Favre could make chops and changes with the Swiss tactician having one eye on the key Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Giovanni Reyna is pretty much a guaranteed starter in the final third, after making a crucial impact against Koln this past weekend. The American international might accompany Marco Reus in the attacking position, meaning Jadon Sancho and Brandt will have to settle for a place on the bench.
The Borussia Dortmund attack should be spearheaded by none other than Erling Haaland. The Norwegian international will be desperate to impress after a disastrous showing against Koln, though Favre does have Youssoufa Moukoko as a potential alternative in the number nine slot.
