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BVB to face Lille in the Round of 16
Last year, OSC Lille and Aston Villa faced each other on the pitch in the quarter-finals of the Conference League; on Friday, the clubs from France and England were lined up alongside one another in a Champions League draw. One of the two were set to face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League - OSC Lille were picked in the end. The club from the north of France are five-time French champions (most recently in 2021) and six-time cup winners (most recently in 2011).
The club are competing in Europe's elite for the eighth time and finished the league phase in seventh place after five wins, one draw and two defeats. The team featuring former Borussia player Thomas Meunier and youngster Ethan Mbappé, 18, are currently fifth in the French Ligue 1. They defeated Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, among others, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, but lost away to Sporting Lisbon. The second leg will be played at the 50,083-capacity Decathlon Arena.
Borussia Dortmund and Lille have faced one another once before in European compettion. On their way to the UEFA Cup final in 2002, the Black & Yellows prevailed in the round of 16 thanks to the away goals rule which applied at the time. After a 1-1 draw in northern France, a 0-0 draw at Strobelallee was enough for BVB to progress. Ewerthon scored the all-important away goal.
Advance ticket sales to club members for the home game on 4 or 5 March will start at 12:00 CET on Tuesday, 25 February 2025. UEFA will announce the exact scheduling later today (Friday).
Boris Rupert