Borussia Dortmund has finally met its opponent in the knockout playoff: Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese giants were selected as BVB's adversary following the Champions League draw last week. The Black-and-Yellows could have faced either Sporting or Club Brugge in the playoffs, from which Dortmund had already played in the League Phase, winning 3-nil in Belgium.
BVB will now face the Lisbon Lions on February 11th and 19th, having the home-field advantage in the second leg while hosting at the Signal Iduna Park. If Dortmund beats Sporting in this playoff stage, the Black-and-Yellows will move forward to the round of 16, with the possibility of facing either Lille or Aston Villa. A hypothetical opponent will only be known following the end of the playoff stage.
Some think this matchup will be easy, but that is not the case. Sporting Lisbon has had a little trouble adjusting to the departure of its former manager, Ruben Amorim, who left Portugal to coach the Red Devils of Manchester United. Amorim has done a terrific job for the Lions, revolutionizing a struggling but historic club and winning the Portuguese League twice, the League Cup three times, and once the Super Cup. But despite Amorim's departure, beating Sporting won't be a piece of cake under new manager Rui Borges and with players like Viktor Gyökeres.
Here is a dissection of Sporting Lisbon and how dangerous they can be to Borussia Dortmund's aspirations for a new European run and a back-to-back participation in the Champions League Final: