Azerbaijan's Sabah FK host Borussia Dortmund in maiden Champions League campaign
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The gist
Azerbaijani club Sabah FK host Borussia Dortmund in Champions League matchday three at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu.
Debutants Sabah have one win from two; Dortmund sit 18th and need a result.
Background
Sabah FK are an Azerbaijani club founded in 2017, nicknamed the Owls, and the second team from Azerbaijan to reach the Champions League first round after Qarabag. They are making their maiden Champions League appearance after coming through every qualifying round. Borussia Dortmund, the German club known as the Black and Yellows, are in the competition under head coach Niko Kovac, who is under growing criticism over performances and playing style. Dortmund had a six-match winning streak before going three games without a win, while Sabah arrive with four wins and one draw from their last five competitive matches.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026Sabah beat FK Qabala 4-0 in the Azerbaijani Premier League, with Aleksey Isayev scoring twice off the bench.
- Oct 17, 2026Borussia Dortmund drew 0-0 with 1. FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga; Konstantinos Karetsas suffered a foot injury in the match.
- Oct 19, 2026Dortmund travel to Baku for matchday three of the Champions League against Sabah FK, scheduled for Tuesday.
- Oct 20, 2026Confirmed lineups: Sabah line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Stas Pokatilov in goal and Joy-Lance Mickels up front; Dortmund field a 3-4-2-1 with Gregor Kobel in goal and Serhou Guirassy, Fábio Silva and Carney Chukwuemeka in attack. Kick-off is 17:45 UK time at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Dortmund sporting director Ole Book said the Union Berlin game was a tough away match where the team may have lacked freshness, but attitude was better, and called the Baku trip a test of willpower in 25-degree heat.
- Analysts
- Preview coverage frames the match as a chance for Dortmund to arrest a downward spiral and show their Champions League loss in Norway was just a slip-up.