This Tuesday, at 9:00 PM, Barça and Borussia Dortmund face each other in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. The match will be held at the iconic Signal Iduna Park stadium, where a great atmosphere is expected and there will also be representation from Barça fans. The match can be followed through Movistar + Liga de Campeones and minute by minute through our social media @carpetasblaugranas
Maurizio Mariani, an Italian referee, will officiate this duel, accompanied in the VAR by his compatriot Marco Di Belo. It will be the first time he referees Hans Flick's team, although he already officiated the first leg between PSG and Aston Villa. As a fact, he averages 4 yellow cards per match and a penalty every two (he has awarded 5 in 10 matches)
How Dortmund Arrives
The German team arrives at this match with nothing to lose, the 4-0 in the first leg leaves them with very few chances to advance. Last weekend they managed to draw against Bayern Munich, a match they were losing until the last minutes. That point brings them closer to Europe, although they are still far from that sixth place that would give them access to the Europa League.
Niko Kovak commented in a press conference that despite the difference, he trusts they can advance because "miracles happen". He also confirmed that they are going to change many things for this match, as they made several mistakes in the first leg. Finally, he asked his fans to cheer from the first moment because his team will give everything on the field.
Regarding the XI, Emre Can is the big doubt for the second leg, as he has been dealing with several issues for weeks. One of the good news is that Pascal Grob will return to the starting line-up after missing the first leg due to yellow cards. Another who could start is Svensson, replacing a Bensebaini who couldn't stop Lamine.
How Barça Arrives
The Catalan team remains unbeaten in this 2025 and is getting closer to securing the league title after the last victory. Against Leganés and playing away, Flick's team had many chances to drop points, but the champion's luck appeared. In this competition, they have a lot set to advance to the next phase, but the squad doesn't feel it's 100% closed.
Flick believes they are lucky to arrive with an advantage to this match because it will be very tough, but his intention is to repeat the performance they had in the first leg. Regarding the physical condition of the squad, he praised his players again, saying they are ready, they always want to start, and that is very positive. He also wanted to highlight that the fans' travel is very important for them and that they already showed it in the previous group stage match.
The German hasn't given clues about who might be starters, although he did say that Dani Olmo is available and could have minutes. The one who will surely have them is Gerard Martín, who will have the big mission of making Balde's absence as unnoticed as possible. Another change that could happen compared to the line-up we saw in the league is the inclusion of Gavi in the attacking midfield instead of Fermín.
Match Keys
Guirassy, the Great Threat: the African forward wasn't very accurate at Lluís Companys, in fact, he had several opportunities but didn't succeed in any. However, in the group stage match, he was able to score two goals playing at home. His physical strength, plus his speed, make him one of the main offensive threats of the German team, and he will also come with a certain hunger for revenge.
Ghosts of the Past: a few years ago, Barça faced a second leg of the quarter-finals with a very favorable result, the 3-1 they achieved against Liverpool. However, that night will be remembered as one of those dark nights in Barça's history, as the 'reds' managed to come back and advance to the next round. If this team has shown anything, it's that they no longer feel as fragile against the opponent's blows and that they also know how to return them.
'Infernal' Atmosphere: Signal Iduna Park is one of those stadiums where the fans put pressure even before the match starts. Their chants and tifos give the German team an extra motivation key to achieving good results. Although they are far behind, their fans will not hesitate to do their part to ensure Kovak's team comes out as motivated as possible.
Freeing Pedri: the Canary Islander is completing his best season since arriving in Barcelona. His numbers don't reflect what he does in each match, that midfielder who makes the first pass to create dangerous chances. If Barça manages to frequently find the former Las Palmas player, Dortmund will have many problems preventing Barça from reaching Kobel's goal.
