Dortmund's confirmed Champions League opponents ranked from toughest to easiest
Borussia Dortmund's eight opponents for the League Phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season have been confirmed after the draw took place in Monaco on Thursday.
The BVB were in Pot 2 of the draw and will face Inter Milan (H), Arsenal (A), Villarreal (H), Aston Villa (A), Real Betis (H), Bodo/Glimt (A) and AEK Athens (H).
However, the order of the fixtures haven't been announced yet and will be made official only on Saturday.
But first, let's rank our Champions League opponents from toughest to easiest:
1) Arsenal
Without a doubt, the London visit to face the reigning Premier League champions will be the toughest draw of the lot. Sure, Dortmund prevailed 3-2 at the Emirates earlier this month in a preseason clash, but a Champions League fixture is a different ball-game and the Gunners have dismantled bigger names at home in recent times. If the BVB manage to even get a point off this fixture, it would be massive.
2) Inter Milan
In January, Inter Milan came to Signal Iduna Park for the final matchday of the League Phase and clinched a 2-0 victory, courtesy of late goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf. They'd be licking their fingers at the prospect of facing the Black and Yellow again, this time as Italian champions, although with a stronger squad, Kovac's side will be hoping for better fortunes.
3) Aston Villa
Cracks have begun to appear in Aston Villa's armor this season, with Brighton dealing them a 4-0 blow on the opening Premier League matchday. But Unai Emery's side can't be written off easily. Dortmund's record on English turf isn't the most encouraging either, losing on their last five visits to the country.
4) Bodo/Glimt
Norway's giant-killing machine will be out to pick up a few more scalps this season. They famous held Dortmund to a 2-2 draw last year, fighting back twice at the Westfalonstadion to earn a point. This time, it will be in the frosty conditions of Bodø, where the temperatures will be cooler than that in Alaska.
5) Villarreal
Another rematch from last year's draw. Dortmund have fond memories of their meeting with Villarreal, having crushed them 4-0 at home in a dominant result. The Yelllow Submarine failed to win a single game in eight last season, and will be looking to pose a bigger challenge for BVB this time around.
6) Real Betis
The Seville outfit finished in fifth place of LaLiga to earn a Champions League return after 21 years and have been prepping up well for it so far, winning both their top-flight matches of the new season whilst keeping a clean sheet in both. As much as they seem like a daunting prospect at home, this match will be in Dortmund and the Prussians are heavy favorites to prevail.
7) AEK Athens
An interesting story arc here is the face-off between the Super League Greece champions and two Greek internationals in the BVB squad, Konstantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias. Both were summer acquisitions and will be keen to make a mark here.
8) Sabah
A Champions League debutant, Sabah are in uncharted territory here. But flying from Dortmund to Baku, Azerbaijan takes five hours and the hosts will be aiming to capitalize on the former's jetlag to perhaps pull off an upset.
