Borussia Dortmund will welcome Villarreal to Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday as the UEFA Champions League returns, with the German side facing the club they defeated 4-0 in their previous meeting in the competition.
The match, which begins at 19:00 GMT, brings together Dortmund’s famous “Yellow Wall” and Villarreal’s “Yellow Submarine” in another contest between two teams with a recent European history. Dortmund will be aiming to make a strong start to this new Champions League campaign, while Villarreal will be seeking revenge for their heavy defeat in Germany.
The sides last met in November 2025, when Borussia Dortmund produced a dominant performance at home. They scored four times without reply, with Serhou Guirassy playing a central role by finding the net twice.
That result gives Dortmund the psychological advantage before Tuesday’s fixture. It also adds significance to Villarreal’s return to Signal Iduna Park, where the Spanish club will attempt to respond after being comfortably beaten in the previous encounter.
Dortmund, meanwhile, will look to maintain their authority on home soil against Villarreal. Another victory would allow them to underline their advantage in this particular fixture and provide a positive opening to their latest European campaign.
Despite the attention surrounding the rematch, the overall head-to-head record remains closely balanced. The clubs have met three times in total, with Dortmund winning once, Villarreal winning once and the other match ending in a draw.
The German side have scored six goals across those encounters, compared with four for Villarreal. Those figures reflect the narrow difference between the teams over the longer history of the fixture, although Dortmund’s most recent victory was emphatic.
The meeting at Signal Iduna Park therefore combines the weight of that 4-0 result with a relatively even record between the clubs. Dortmund will hope the support of the “Yellow Wall” can help them reproduce the performance that delivered their previous win, while Villarreal will try to change the pattern established by that November defeat.
With both teams beginning a new Champions League campaign, Tuesday’s game offers Dortmund the chance to confirm their strength at home and Villarreal an immediate opportunity to answer their critics on the European stage.