Borussia Dortmund will play their Champions League home match against Villarreal in front of a completely empty stand at Signal Iduna Park. This unusual situation arises from extremely low away ticket sales by the Spanish club.
The Black and Yellows are currently third in the Bundesliga with six points from two games, having scored five goals this season. The home fixture against Villarreal will occur under peculiar circumstances. UEFA rules entitle away teams to five percent of the stadium's capacity for travelling supporters. At a sell-out Signal Iduna Park with around 81,000 seats, Villarreal would be entitled to just over 4,000 tickets.
Villarreal informed Borussia Dortmund that they would not take up their full allocation. In fact, the Spanish club sold only 39 tickets to their fans for the trip to Germany. In response, Dortmund decided not to accommodate these few away supporters in the usual north-east corner of the stadium. Instead, the Villarreal fans will be relocated to the West Stand. This logistical decision means an entire section of the north-east terrace will remain vacant for Tuesday night's match, a rare sight for a Champions League game in Dortmund.
Dortmund boss Niko Kovac has warned of a difficult challenge. He highlighted the opponent's qualities. "They finished third last year and are playing in the Champions League for the second year in a row," Kovac said. The coach emphasized the tactical task. "They're technically very sound and very precise in their execution. When they have the ball, this team makes very few mistakes." Villarreal, who began the season with a new coach, continue to play a typical Spanish style with lots of possession. Kovac believes the key to success is reducing that possession time. "When we have the ball, they can't play their game and have to defend more."
The clash with Villarreal is an important test for Borussia Dortmund's current form. The team has started the Bundesliga season with two wins and a goal difference of +5:2. A positive result in Europe's elite competition would confirm the momentum and secure important points in the group stage. The current league standing and upcoming tasks can be viewed on our standings page. Following the European fixture, an away match at currently eighth-placed RB Leipzig awaits on December 19 calendar.
The exceptionally low away following from Villarreal highlights that not every European fixture is a travel attraction for fans, even at the top level. For Borussia Dortmund and the 39 Spanish guests in the West Stand, the focus now shifts entirely to the sporting contest. Borussia's next competitive match is the trip to Leipzig on December 19, 2026.
