This Wednesday, at 9:00 PM, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals will be played between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. The match will be held at Lluís Companys, where a full house is expected and there will also be representation from the German team. The match will be broadcast on Movistar + Liga de Campeones and the minute-by-minute coverage through our social media @carpetasblaugranas
The Norwegian Espen Eskås has been appointed as the main referee for the match, accompanied in the VAR by the Dutchman Dennis Higler. This same season he has officiated Barça, in the match they won 5-2 in Belgrade during the group stage. He has also refereed the "yellow wall" team against Sporting Lisbon, which ended with a victory for Kovac's side (0-3)
How Barça Arrives
After many years, the Barça fans are once again excited about this European title, after several years of failures and setbacks. In the previous round, they defeated Benfica, beating the Lisbon team both in the first and second legs. While it's true they recently stumbled in the league (a draw against Betis), in the top European competition they haven't lost since the first matchday.
The pre-match press conference was led by Gavi, who sent a very clear message to those who doubt his soccer skills: "some have no fucking idea." Meanwhile, Flick acknowledged that he is looking forward to reuniting with Nico Kovac and that he is a "fantastic coach". He also spoke about the importance of playing at home first and trying to settle it in the first leg, although he believes it will be very difficult.
Regarding the starting eleven, the only doubt is whether Íñigo will be 100% fit for the match or if, on the contrary, the central part will be Cubarsí + Araujo. The rest will be very similar to those who drew against Betis, except that Raphinha will replace Ferran. The Valencian will once again be that substitute who is generating many goals and revolutionizing the second halves.
How Dortmund Arrives
The German team is experiencing a challenging and inconsistent season, including a mid-season coaching change. While they have reached these quarter-finals in the Champions League, in the Bundesliga they are 27 points behind the leader. The positive is that they have achieved two consecutive victories against direct rivals for the fight for European spots.
Niko Kovac believes that Barça is the favorite for the tie, but that they know they can qualify because they have the tools to do so. He took the opportunity to praise Lamine Yamal, however, acknowledging that the blaugrana club has many other exceptional players to focus on just one. He also lamented the notable last-minute absence of Schlotterbeck, expressing his support for him to recover as best as possible and without rushing.
The injury of the German central defender disrupts Kovac's plans, as it has been compounded by Sule's, who will also not be in the squad. The rest of the squad, except for Grob who is suspended, is in perfect condition to start from the beginning. It should be noted that there are several players on the verge of suspension: Yan Couto, Bensebaini, Ryerson, and Beier (all starters, except the former Girona player)
Match Keys
Adeyemi, a Dagger on the Wing: the German winger is the most unbalancing player and the one who can cause the most damage from that right wing. Balde will need to be alert to the '27's advances, as he has scored 5 goals and provided one assist so far in the Champions League. His partnership with Guirassy produces most of Dortmund's goals, while one brings it down, the other looks for space.
Physical Duel: in the group stage match, Cubarsí was very alert to Guirassy's turns, however, it will be difficult to restrain him. The African forward will look for the Spaniard's profile to win that physical duel and thus generate a second play. It is likely that if he wins many duels in the match, Flick will bring in Ronald Araujo to equalize forces and limit that avenue of play.
Ball Out: the absence of Schlotterbeck not only affects the defensive level, but also the way of playing out from the back. The central defender was responsible for playing out through his long passes and secure ball-carrying, breaking pressure lines. Now, in his position will be Emre Can, who, while he has good ball handling, doesn't have Nico's explosiveness.
'Camp Nou' Factor: the Barça fans have very bad memories of these recent editions of the Champions League, in fact, some years they have dropped to the Europa League. To that, it must be added that they still haven't returned to Camp Nou, something that the Barça fan and player miss, due to the aura that stadium has. However, Lluís Companys will be a cauldron for a match that could be crucial for the future of the competition.