The 'team-airbus', with the flight number EW1909, landed in the early evening in Lisbon after a flight of just over three hours. Borussia Dortmund are preparing meticulously for the Champions League game on Tuesday (20.45 CET) against Sporting.

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Prior to departure: Mario Götze and Roman Bürki

The squad and accompanying staff normally travel the day before a match to its location. For the first time, though (notwithstanding travel arrangements for important finals), there are now a full 50 hours to go until kick-off after having landed. As such, the team will be better able to acclimatise, and will have much more time than with the rushed "Flight-Landing-Hotel Transfer-Stadium-Training" schedule, as when one lands the day immediately before the match-day.

Sporting Director Michael Zorc explained the measure in the following way: "We will be better able to focus our efforts on recovery, and things won't be so hectic away from home." Such an expedient can be attributed to the fact that the games against Sporting, the first on Tuesday at the Estádio José Alvalade XXI, the second leg then on 2. November at the Signal Iduna Park, are of particular importance due to the team deemed favourite to win the group, namely, Real Madrid. "The games against Lisbon are hugely important in determining the final standings in the group", according to Zorc: "A lot will depend on our head to head record."

Borussia Dortmund began with a 6-0 victory over Legia Warsaw and 2-2 draw against Real Madrid. Zorc said of the game in Warsaw: "We gave a good performance there and won convincingly. It would be good if we can play similarly on Tuesday."

The speculation over who will start is intense. Lukas Piszczek and Sokratis have flown to Lisbon despite uncertainty about their fitness. Zorc: "We hope that they might be able to participate after all." (br)