Sabah vs Borussia Dortmund: Champions League Kickoff, Venue and Team News
Updated at 5:35 p.m. UTC on October 19, 2026: Sabah host Borussia Dortmund in UEFA Champions League league-phase Matchday 3 on Tuesday, October 20. The match is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. in Baku, Azerbaijan Time (AZT, UTC+04:00), or 4:45 p.m. UTC. BVB's pre-match preview gives the Central European kickoff as 6:45 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00). UEFA identifies the fixture as match 2049597. The BVB travel squad and an injury update have now been published; starting lineups are not yet confirmed.
The venue and kickoff remain listed as scheduled in the latest UEFA fixture information reviewed. The most useful way to avoid a time-zone mix-up is to keep Baku time and UTC together, then check the official match center again on match day for any late change or lineup announcement.
When does Sabah vs Borussia Dortmund start?
Kickoff is set for Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 20:45 AZT in Baku. Azerbaijan Time is UTC+04:00, so the corresponding kickoff is 16:45 UTC on the same Tuesday. UEFA's league-phase fixture list displays 18:45, and Borussia Dortmund's pre-match preview identifies that as 18:45 CEST (UTC+02:00). Central Europe is still on summer time on October 20; its autumn clock change comes later that week. The Baku, UTC, and Central European dates all remain October 20.
Use the venue's stated time if you are in Baku, and the UTC time as a dependable conversion point if you are watching elsewhere. A phone or streaming service may automatically display your own time zone, so compare the date and location label before setting a reminder.
| Match detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Sabah vs Borussia Dortmund |
| Competition | 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, league phase, Matchday 3 |
| Date | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
| Kickoff in Baku | 8:45 p.m. AZT (UTC+04:00) |
| Kickoff in UTC | 4:45 p.m. UTC, October 20 |
| Central European time | 6:45 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00), October 20 |
| Venue | Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan |
| UEFA match ID | 2049597 |
| Referee | Javier Alberola Rojas (Spain) |
Where is the match being played?
Sabah are the designated home side, and UEFA lists Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku as the venue. The stadium is in Azerbaijan's capital; this is not a match at either club's usual domestic ground. Borussia Dortmund's pre-match coverage also says the team will play at the Olympic Stadium, which supports the venue information in UEFA's match listing.
If you are attending, follow the address, entry time, and gate instructions on your ticket and the latest notices from Sabah or the stadium. UEFA's fixture page confirms the venue, but it does not replace ticket-specific travel directions or local event guidance.
What team news is confirmed?
Borussia Dortmund published its travel roster on October 19. The club confirmed that Konstantinos Karetsas will not travel to Baku after suffering a ligament injury in his foot during the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin. BVB Sporting Director Lars Ricken said Karetsas would also miss the club's next Bundesliga game against Eintracht Frankfurt. This is the club's updated description of the injury; the earlier version of this article used an ankle label from a preview.
BVB's pre-match report also lists long-term absences Emre Can and Giannis Konstantelias, both with cruciate ligament injuries. The club said coach Niko Kovač would assess the rest of the traveling players after the trip before deciding who starts. A published travel roster shows who went to Azerbaijan, but it is not the same as the official starting XI.
As of the update cutoff, the official Sabah material reviewed did not provide a confirmed player-by-player injury or suspension bulletin for this fixture. UEFA or club predicted-lineup notes should be treated as projections unless Sabah confirms them. The official starting lineups for both teams had not been announced in the sources reviewed. No suspension for either side was confirmed in the official updates reviewed by 5:35 p.m. UTC on October 19.
UEFA appointed Spanish referee Javier Alberola Rojas for the match, according to its Matchday 3 officials announcement published October 19. That appointment is confirmed; it does not indicate any change to the scheduled kickoff or venue.
How can you watch or follow the game?
Broadcast availability depends on the country where you are watching. Borussia Dortmund's official pre-match coverage lists DAZN for live viewing. Check the service's schedule and territorial availability where you live, since the same provider may not carry the match in every country. UEFA's official broadcast-partner directory is the place to check rights by territory; confirm the fixture in the broadcaster's own schedule before kickoff.
If you do not have access to a live broadcast, use UEFA's official match page for match information, live updates, and lineup announcements. UEFA also promotes goal and lineup alerts through its app. The match center is useful before kickoff as well as during the game, especially if a broadcaster's schedule or a device's time display differs from Baku's local time.
What is at stake in Matchday 3?
This is a single league-phase fixture, not a two-leg knockout tie. The result adds points to the shared Champions League table. Sabah come into the game after a 2–0 home win over Slavia Praha on October 13, their first win in this league phase. Dortmund's previous European match was a 1–0 defeat away to Bodø/Glimt on October 14. BVB's most recent domestic match was a 0–0 draw at Union Berlin on October 17, according to the club's pre-match report. Those results provide context, but they do not settle what will happen in Baku.
Before the match, check these details in the official sources:
- Kickoff: October 20 at 8:45 p.m. AZT (UTC+04:00) in Baku, 4:45 p.m. UTC, or 6:45 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00).
- Venue: Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku.
- Team news: Karetsas, Emre Can, and Giannis Konstantelias are confirmed BVB absences in the club's pre-match information; wait for official XIs before treating any projected starter as final.
- Viewing: confirm the match in a territory-specific broadcaster schedule or follow UEFA's match center.
Keeping the venue time, UTC conversion, and date together avoids the most common schedule mistake: reading UEFA's 18:45 listing as Baku time. The confirmed Baku kickoff is 20:45 AZT. Check UEFA's match center close to kickoff for any late official update.
Sources: UEFA's 2026/27 league-phase fixture list; UEFA match page for Sabah vs Borussia Dortmund; UEFA's Matchday 3 referee appointments; BVB's travel roster and Karetsas update; BVB's pre-match report and team assessment; BVB's match preview and DAZN listing; and UEFA's broadcast-partner directory.
