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A closer look at Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League group stage opponents

By Tushar Bahl

Borussia Dortmund begin their Champions League campaign next week (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund begin their Champions League campaign next week (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Getty Images) /
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Besiktas are the defending Turkish Super Lig champions. (Photo by Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Besiktas are the defending Turkish Super Lig champions. (Photo by Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /

Besiktas JK

Besiktas are back in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2017–18 season. They qualified for the group stage by exceeding all expectations and winning the Turkish Süper Lig title last season. And they have bolstered their squad with several big name signings this summer.

Leading the Besiktas midfield will be Miralem Pjanic, who has joined on a season long loan deal from FC Barcelona. There will also be a reunion with Michy Batshuayi, who enjoyed a brief but memorable loan spell at Borussia Dortmund in 2018. Last season’s top scorer Cyle Larin will be one to keep an eye on. While Rachid Ghezzal will provide the creative spark from the wing.

Besiktas often tend to rely more on experienced and established players. And all that experience in their squad could prove to be useful in the Champions League. Under Sergen Yalcin, they have developed into a team that is difficult to break down.

Next. Borussia Dortmund’s five most memorable UEFA Champions League moments. dark

Besiktas’ record in the Champions League is certainly not the best. But they did make it to the round of 16 in the 2017–18 season, before suffering an 8-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich. The Turkish giants were eliminated by PAOK in the second qualifying round of the Champions League last season.