Although they fell just short at Wembley, memorable victories in Newcastle, Milan and Paris took Borussia Dortmund to a third Champions League final last season, with only the might of Real Madrid stopping them from a surprise success in London.

Under boyhood BVB fan Edin Terzic, they finished top of the so-called 'Group of Death' before beating PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid to set up a second meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

Despite turning heads in Europe, Dortmund could only finish fifth in the Bundesliga, some 27 points behind unbeaten champions Bayer Leverkusen - the club's worst domestic finish since 2015.

However, thanks in part to their own Champions League run, which boosted Germany's UEFA coefficient and earned them five automatic places, they are now back in the tournament for a ninth successive season.

The Black and Yellows have reached the knockout stages in all but two of their last 11 campaigns, and that will be their minimum target under new boss Nuri Sahin, who replaced Terzic as head coach in the summer.

At just 36, the former midfielder is the youngest coach to take charge of this year's Champions League, and he takes an unbeaten record into Wednesday's opener: BVB have won two and drawn one of Sahin's first three games in charge, following a 4-2 win over Heidenheim on Friday in which Karim Adeyemi scored twice.

The first of eight matches in the league phase will be a familiar one for Dortmund, who will face Club Brugge for the third time in the last seven seasons.

The record is four wins and one defeat from six previous meetings, with the German side winning each of their last four games in Belgium without conceding a goal.

As the format of the Champions League changes, Brugge join Dortmund in the furniture of Europe's top club competition, appearing at this stage for the sixth time in seven seasons.

However, the Blue-Whites missed out last term, only a year after finally reaching the knockout stages, where they were knocked out by Benfica in the last 16.

Their reward for winning the Belgian Pro League last season has been a tough draw this time around, with AC Milan and Manchester City among their upcoming opponents.

With an estimated eight points needed to qualify for the play-offs, there is plenty to play for, especially after a deep run through UEFA's third tier in 2023-24.

In the Europa Conference League, Club Brugge progressed through three qualifying rounds, winning five of their six group matches before knocking out Molde and PAOK in the knockout stages, only to be beaten by Fiorentina in a tense semi-final on seven goals to none.

Brugge were unbeaten at home in Europe last season, and strong form at the Jan Breydel Stadium also helped them become Belgian champions for the 19th time, securing a fourth league title in five years.

After leading them to the top of the standings, Nicky Hayen's interim role was made permanent in the summer and his side are now back on top of the standings after winning four of their opening seven games - including last week in Kortrijk, where Hans Vanaken scored twice in a 3-0 win.

Club Brugge possible starting lineup:

Mignolet; Seys, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Vetlesen; Skov Olsen, Vanaken, Tzolis; Nilsson

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Sule, Bensebaini; Can, Gross; Sabitzer, Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy

Prediction:Club Brugge 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Club Brugge VS Borussia Dortmund stream and TV listing

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