Borussia Dortmund will be eager to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway and have the quality to record a comfortable victory over Sabah FC in Azerbaijan.
Sabah FC made a disappointing start to their first ever UEFA Champions League campaign with a 4-0 defeat at Manchester United, but the Azerbaijani side responded impressively by beating Slavia Praha 2-0 to claim their first victory in the competition proper.
Dortmund began with a thrilling 3-2 win over Villarreal CF, scoring twice late on through Serhou Guirassy before an injury-time own goal made for a nervy finish.
However, they were unable to build on that result in Norway, losing 1-0 to Bodø/Glimt despite having opportunities to find an equaliser.
Niko Kovac's side will view this trip as an opportunity to get back on track and add three points to their UEFA Champions League tally, as they have significantly more experience at this level and plenty of attacking quality.
Sabah have shown they can be dangerous going forward, having scored 15 goals across six UEFA Champions League qualifying matches, but facing Dortmund represents a substantial step up in class.
The visitors should be able to impose themselves and secure a convincing win.
Sabah FC v Borussia Dortmund Tips Summary
Best Bet - Borussia Dortmund -2 @ 7/4
Alternative Bet - Maximilian Beier to assist @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Half-Time/Full-Time Borussia Dortmund/Borussia Dortmund, Over 3 goals and Serhou Guirassy to score 2+ goals @ 24/5
Sabah FC v Borussia Dortmund Prediction
Best Bet: Borussia Dortmund -2 @ 7/4
Dortmund have made a mixed start to their UEFA Champions League campaign, beating Villarreal before suffering a surprise defeat to Bodo/Glimt. They will be determined to respond in Azerbaijan and should have enough quality to take control against Sabah.
The German side boasts greater experience in European competition and have attacking players capable of causing problems throughout the match.
Guirassy is expected to lead the line after scoring twice against Villarreal, while Maximilian Beier offers another threat in the final third.
Sabah deserve credit for their 2-0 win over Slavia Prague, having recovered well from their opening 4-0 defeat to Manchester United.
However, Dortmund represent another difficult challenge, and the hosts look set to struggle to contain the visitors over 90 minutes.
Alternative Bet: Maximilian Beier to assist @ 3/1
Maximilian Beier is expected to play an important role in Dortmund's attacking approach, with the forward capable of creating opportunities as well as getting into scoring positions himself.
Dortmund should have plenty of possession against a Sabah side that conceded four goals against Manchester United, and Beier should have ample opportunity to supply Guirassy or another teammate in dangerous areas.
Beier has created eight chances for his teammates in the Bundesliga at a rate of 1.72 per 90 minutes of action, and if he can replicate that against Sabah, his colleagues have the quality to put at least one of them away.
Sabah FC v Borussia Dortmund Bet Builder Tip
- Half-Time/Full-Time Borussia Dortmund/Borussia Dortmund
- Over 3 goals
- Serhou Guirassy to score 2+ goals
Pays 24/5
Dortmund will be keen to put their defeat to Bodo/Glimt behind them and make a fast start in Azerbaijan. They have the quality to take control early, and if their attackers find their rhythm, they should take a lead by the break before finishing the job in the second half.
Sabah scored 15 goals across their six UEFA Champions League qualifying matches and showed their attacking potential in the 2-0 win over Slavia Prague.
However, their 4-0 defeat to Manchester United highlighted the difficulties they can face against elite opposition. Dortmund should create plenty of chances, making four or more goals a possibility.
Guirassy scored twice in Dortmund's opening UEFA Champions League match against Villarreal and will be the main goal threat again.
The striker has shown his ability to finish chances at this level, and Dortmund should provide him with opportunities to add to his tally against Sabah.
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Key Match Stats
- Sabah FC scored 15 goals across their six UEFA Champions League qualifying matches.
- Sabah navigated four qualifying rounds to reach the UEFA Champions League league phase.
- The Azerbaijanis have won five of their last seven matches across all competitions.
- Borussia Dortmund scored three goals in their opening UEFA Champions League match against Villarreal.
- Dortmund generated just 0.79 expected goals in their 1-0 defeat to Bodo/Glimt.
- Serhou Guirassy has six goal involvements in nine appearances for Dortmund this season.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
