Borussia Dortmund

Greece central defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos remains doubtful for the national team's do-or-die play-offs with Croatia after the rather superficial injury that forced him out of last Saturday's Borussia Dortmund game. In view of this and the ban on Costas Manolas, coach Michael Skibbe has called up two more central defenders.

Ludogorets's next rival in the Europa League tournament - Hoffenheim - demonstrated amazing form in the German Bundesliga. The team coached by 30-year-old Julian Nagelsman won 2:0 against Schalke 04 and after the 6th round is second with 14 points, which is 2 points behind the leader Borussia Dortmund, and 1 point in front of the champion Bayern Munich, who is in third place.

German authorities have arrested a suspect with reported links to Islamist groups over the bomb that shattered the bus window of German Champion League football club Borussia Dortumund before Tuesdays night’s match against French club Monaco. Police are also investigating another man.

As many as three explosions damaged the bus of one of Germany’s most storied soccer teams as it headed to its stadium in Dortmund on Tuesday, wounding one player and forcing postponement of the match, an important playoff in a major European championship.

According to media reports three explosions have occurred near the Borussia Dortmund team bus while the side were heading to their Champions League game against Monaco in Germany this morning. So far the cause of the explosions has not been determined.

Greek centre back Socratis Papastathopoulos is leading in the online voting for best defender in the German 1st division football championship (Bundesliga) for the first half of the competition. Papastathopoulos, who plays for top club Borussia Dortmund has 23% of the fans’ preferences against, with Bayern Munich’s Mats Hummels in second spot (20%).

Borussia Dortmund came from two goals down in the Bernabeu to earn the draw they needed to finish top of Champions League Group F.
Karim Benzema seemed to have put Real Madrid in pole position to secure a seeded berth in the last 16 of the competition when he scored twice inside 53 minutes but Dortmund weren’t about to roll over.

Borussia Dortmund beat Legia Warsaw in a pulsating 8-4 victory on Tuesday that broke the record for goals scored in a Champions League match.

Claudio Ranieri, dismissed by Greece in November 2014, has revealed how he turned to Jurgen Klopp last Christmas after experiencing anguish. Following the defeat to the Faroe Islands Greece sacked the 64-year-old that led to heartbreak, but the Leicester manager watched Klopp coach Borussia Dortmund players at a sunshine camp during winter break.

Turkish football heavyweight and last year?s league title runner-up Fenerbahçe will host Greek rival Atromitos Aug. 27 in the UEFA Europa League play-offs second leg game in Istanbul, with the advantage of a 1-0 win away in the first game.