Borussia Dortmund resume their Champions League campaign on Tuesday against Athletic Bilbao at the Signal Iduna Park, marking their first home game of the season in the competition.
Following a late implosion at Juventus on matchday one, which saw them relinquish a 4-2 lead in stoppage time to draw 4-4, Der BVB will be hoping to pick up its first win here.
Bilbao, who face Dortmund for the first time in European history, are coming off the back of a slender 1-0 loss to Villarreal in the Spanish LaLiga. It was their third top-flight loss of the season from the opening seven games.
Moreover, Los Leones were also beaten 2-0 at home by Arsenal in their first Champions League game of the season. All this should give Dortmund the confidence to come into the fixture.
The Bundesliga giants are no strangers to Spanish opponents, having faced teams from LaLiga on several occasions in Europe. This season too, they are set to face two in the league phase alone - Bilbao and Villarreal.
Let's breakdown Dortmund's record against Spanish teams in the Champions League:
Die Borussen have faced Spanish teams on 44 occasions in total, across seven different teams. That includes 33 in the Champions League, nearly half (16) of which have come against Real Madrid, who famously beat them 2-0 in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.
They've won only thrice though, the last of which came in April 2014.
Dortmund has also played against Real's city rivals, Atletico Madrid, on six occasions, winning and losing three times each. Against Barcelona too, the side doesn't boast a good record, winning just once in five meetings, albeit that victory came earlier this year when Dortmund beat them 3-1 in the second leg of their quarter-final clash, led by Serhou Guirassy's sensational hat-trick.
Sevilla and Malaga are two Spanish teams that Dortmund haven't lost against.
In four meetings with Los Nervionenses, Dortmund secured two away wins but drew both home games. Malaga held them to a 0-0 draw in Spain, but Der BVB pulled off a famous stoppage-time comeback in the second leg to win 3-2 en route to their 2013 Champions League final march.
Speaking specifically of their home record, Dortmund have welcomed a Spanish team at the Signal Iduna Park on 16 occasions in the premier European tournament, winning only seven times. However, they've also lost just three times - once each against Atlético Madrid (1996), Real Madrid (2017), and Barcelona (2024).
In conclusion, Dortmund's record against Spanish teams hasn't been the best. However, it has been difficult for the visitors to get the better of the side on their home ground too. Bilbao, playing in the Champions League after 11 years, will certainly have a challenge on its hands here.