Champions League: Real Madrid vs Dortmund preview

Borussia Dortmund will face defending champions Real Madrid on Tuesday as they go in search of their first group-stage win in this season's UEFA Champions League.

The Zinedine Zidane side [Real Madrid] lead Group H after beating APOEL Nicosia in their Champions League opener, sitting level on three points with Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Dortmund 3-1 in their last European outing.

Both sides met in the group stage of last season and drew both of their encounters 2-2, with the Black and Yellows eventually beating Real to top spot in their pool.

The sides have key absences coming to the Westfalenstadion, with Karim Benzema and left-back Marcelo the most prominent players missing from Real's selection with muscular injuries.

Goal's Ben Hayward reported prior to Saturday's 2-1 win over Alaves that Theo Hernandez's shoulder injury would keep him sidelined also, while Mateo Kovacic is expected to be out for up to two months with an adductor injury.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus is still recovering from a ruptured cruciate ligament, although BT Sport's Archie Rhind-Tutt noted the German is taking his absence well.

Left-back Raphael Guerreiro and Andre Schurrle have also been sidelined for almost the entire season thus far.

Real will need to shake off some of their recent domestic form if they're to have any success in Dortmund, with Saturday's win over Alaves somewhat papering over the cracks of a recent 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis.