Who: Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund
What: UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, leg 1
The place: Olympic Stadium, Barcelona
When: Wednesday at 9pm native (19:00 GMT)
Comply with Al Jazeera Sport’s dwell text and photo commentary stream.
LaLiga leaders Barcelona host Borussia Dortmund on the Olympic Stadium within the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday. It’s the first time the edges have met within the knockout stage of the match.
Barcelona, chasing their first Champions League trophy since 2015, are favourites for the opening leg and are unbeaten in 2025.
Borussia Dortmund, who have been the Champions League runners-up to Actual Madrid final season, is once more eyeing a spot within the final 4 for the second successive 12 months.
Right here is all to know earlier than the quarterfinal opener between two of Europe’s strongest soccer golf equipment:
Have Dortmund ever overwhelmed Barcelona in European competitors?
No. Barcelona are unbeaten of their 5 earlier conferences in opposition to Borussia Dortmund (W3, D2), together with a group-stage victory over the German membership on this season’s UEFA Champions League on December 11, 2024.
What number of video games in a row is Barcelona’s 2025 unbeaten streak?
The Catalan giants haven’t misplaced of their final 22 video games throughout all competitions.
What occurred the final time these sides met?
Barcelona gained their UEFA Champions League group match 3-2 away at Dortmund’s BVB Stadion in December in what might greatest be described as a topsy-turvy encounter.
In a far-from-convincing victory, Barcelona twice gained a lead on the scoreboard, just for ahead Serhou Guirassyas to equalise twice for Dortmund.
It took substitute Ferran Torres’s Eighty fifth-minute winner to lastly separate the edges for good and safe the three factors for the Catalans.
Group information: Barcelona
Barcelona are nonetheless with out key midfielder Dani Olmo for the primary leg in opposition to Dortmund. There’s a risk he might return for the second leg on April 15.
Centre-back Pau Cubarsi is again with the staff after serving a one-game suspension and he’s a excessive likelihood to begin.
Striker Robert Lewandowski will line up in opposition to his former staff; the Polish star performed for Borussia Dortmund from 2010 to 2014, kicking 74 objectives in 131 appearances for the membership.
Barcelona will once more roll out their world-class winger partnership of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal to play behind Lewandowski.
Group information: Dortmund
Dortmund will enter Wednesday’s match with out the companies of Austrian worldwide midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who’re each out with damage.
Versatile defensive midfielder Pascal Gross can even miss the encounter after accumulating a second yellow card within the staff’s final Champions League fixture of their spherical of 16 second-leg conflict in opposition to Lille.
Ahead Serhou Guirassy, who’s at present equal third in complete objectives scored within the German Bundesliga, will once more look to use the Barcelona defence, as he did repeatedly of their Champions League group fixture the final time they met again on December 11.
Potential lineups:
Barcelona doable beginning XI (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Dortmund doable beginning XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Anton, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Chukwuemeka; Adeyemi, Brandt, Beier; Guirassy
Type information
Barcelona:
Barcelona leads to their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
D-W-W-W-W (most up-to-date consequence first)
Dortmund:
Dortmund leads to their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
W-W-L-W-L (most up-to-date consequence first)
What the managers needed to say
Hans Flick, Barcelona: “Dortmund are a really secure staff and so they play very attacking soccer. However we now have been enjoying properly at dwelling and away within the Champions League. Niko [Kovac] will have the ability to area an excellent lineup [regardless of their injury situation]. They’re sturdy defensively and I want all one of the best to their injured gamers. They’ve superb gamers, and it’s a disgrace [about their injuries], however they’ve sufficient gamers to cowl their absences.”
Niko Kovac, Dortmund: “We [Flick and I] know one another properly and admire one another as individuals. We additionally know the way we view one another’s soccer. We’re conscious of the standard of Barcelona’s forwards, and we’ll must defend properly. We need to benefit from their weaknesses, and we come right here to attempt to win the sport. I believe Barca are favourites tomorrow, however Dortmund performed in final season’s ultimate. Something is feasible right here. We’re a little bit of an underdog, however that doesn’t essentially work in Barcelona’s favour.”
