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 perimeters have met within the knockout stage of the event.
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 yr.
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 towards 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 perimeters for good and safe the three factors for the Catalans.
Staff information: Barcelona
Barcelona are nonetheless with out key midfielder Dani Olmo for the primary leg towards Dortmund. There’s a chance 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 chance to start out.
Striker Robert Lewandowski will line up towards his former staff; the Polish star performed for Borussia Dortmund from 2010 to 2014, kicking 74 targets 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.
Staff 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 harm.
Versatile defensive midfielder Pascal Gross will even miss the encounter after amassing a second yellow card within the staff’s final Champions League fixture of their spherical of 16 second-leg conflict towards Lille.
Ahead Serhou Guirassy, who’s at the moment equal third in complete targets 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.
Doable lineups:
Barcelona attainable beginning XI (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Dortmund attainable beginning XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Anton, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Chukwuemeka; Adeyemi, Brandt, Beier; Guirassy
Kind information
Barcelona:
Barcelona leads to their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
D-W-W-W-W (most up-to-date outcome first)
Dortmund:
Dortmund leads to their final 5 matches (throughout all competitions):
W-W-L-W-L (most up-to-date outcome first)
What the managers needed to say
Hans Flick, Barcelona: “Dortmund are a really steady staff and so they play very attacking soccer. However we’ve got been taking part in nicely at house and away within the Champions League. Niko [Kovac] will be capable of discipline a superb lineup [regardless of their injury situation]. They’re sturdy defensively and I want all one of the best to their injured gamers. They’ve excellent 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 nicely and recognize one another as folks. We additionally understand how we view one another’s soccer. We’re conscious of the standard of Barcelona’s forwards, and we’ll need to defend nicely. We need to make the most of their weaknesses, and we come right here to attempt to win the sport. I feel Barca are favourites tomorrow, however Dortmund performed in final season’s remaining. Something is feasible right here. We’re a little bit of an underdog, however that doesn’t essentially work in Barcelona’s favour.”
