Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal CF

Borussia Dortmund host Villarreal in the opening matchday of the new Champions League league phase at Signal Iduna Park, a fixture that opens both clubs' European campaigns. Dortmund arrive off the back of a runner-up finish in last season's Bundesliga, built on the division's meanest defense, while Villarreal return to Europe's top table after securing third in La Liga. Dortmund's build-up has been mixed: a 1-2 Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich was followed by a confident 2-0 Bundesliga-opening win over Hamburger SV, with Serhou Guirassy scoring early and new arrival Konstantinos Karetsas impressing on debut. Villarreal shared the points in a 2-2 draw with Atlético Madrid, with Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno carrying their attacking threat. The two sides have met once before in Europe, last November, when Dortmund ran out 4-0 winners. That history, plus home advantage, makes Dortmund slight favorites, though Villarreal's improved squad depth should make this far tighter than the last meeting. Our prediction: 2-1.