Barcelona will host Borussia Dortmund in a quarter-final of the Champions League f.c barcelona vs dortmund, so you can expect action from two teams that play fantastic attacking football. Barcelona, under the leadership of Hansi Flick, want to lay their wing backs deep and have possession in front of them on most occasions, who will do their best to break up Dortmund’s big pressing style. A strong attack like Pedri, Yamal, and Lewandowski will make it pretty difficult for any defensive defense in the match.
On the other hand, Dortmund thrive on making quick transitions and pressing up the field. With Adeyemi’s pace and Brandt’s creativity they’ll look to expose Barcelona’s defensive shortcomings, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel will do all he can to keep his side in it with his superb shot-stopping ability.
Both sides play in brilliant form at the moment, and this game will depend largely on some really good moments. Will Barcelona’s dominance be enough, or will the dynamic style of Dortmund produce an upset?
In this article, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about these two teams, the best players to watch.
Barcelona Recent Form
Barcelona have been a credit to the club with a 21 match unbeaten record across all competitions. And their 4-1 victory over Girona on Sunday gave them the confidence they needed to stay top of La Liga this term. Robert Lewandowski has been at the forefront of that, scoring 25 goals in 28 league matches.
Borussia Dortmund Recent Form
The results for Borussia Dortmund have not borne fruit. For the first time they beat Mainz 3-1 to end a string of draws, and their European hopes returned to life – for the last time. Maximilian Beier scored two goals in the win. But it’s a matter of how well they stick to their formation this season, having drawn against Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach in recent weeks.
Dortmund is one of the clubs that prefers to press very high and fast in order to scare the opponent in the game and gain possession as quickly as possible.
Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, believes in keeping the ball and building from the back. The only way to know for sure that Barcelona can manage to survive Dortmund’s brutal press is if they can keep the ball alive in the middle of the pitch and if their defence can keep possession under pressure.
F.C Barcelona Vs Dortmund Champions League Record
Both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund have long histories in Europe’s UEFA Champions League – the elite club football competition.
Barcelona
In its history Barcelona has been a champions league favourite, they won the title five times. They won it in the following season:
1991–92
2005–06
2008–09
2010–11
2014-15
The achievements also confirm the permanence of Barcelona at the top of European football, and note that they have made it past the semi-finals 12 times, again underline their ability to go on long hauls.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund won their only Champions League title in 1996–97 season. In the final against Juventus, managed by Ottmar Hitzfeld, it was Borussia Dortmund who beat the Juve 3–1. Karl-Heinz Riedle scored twice and Lars Ricken scored the last of his five famous goals, just 16 seconds after he came on as a substitute.
Dortmund once again reached the final in the 2012–13 campaign, led by Jürgen Klopp, but narrowly lost 2–1 at Wembley Stadium to Bayern Munich. We see that very clearly in their Champions League participation: the Dortmund club has qualified nine times over the past 10 years and seen them directly into the knockout stages.
F.C Barcelona Vs Dortmund H2h Record
In the past Barcelona has been stronger when it comes to matches against Dortmund. The two clubs have met five times and Barcelona has won three of those games and drawn two whilst Dortmund have not managed a win over the Catalan giants so will be hoping to overturn that in their next game.
1997 UEFA Super Cup: Barcelona triumphed over Dortmund.
2018/19 Champions League Group Stage: The 2 teams drew 1-1 in Dortmund, and Barcelona came away 3-1.
December 2024 Champions League Group Stage: Barca beat Dortmund 3-2 away at Signal Iduna Park
Barcelona Team News
Dani Olmo suffered a right abductor injury in the 3-0 win over Osasuna on 28 March, and will be out for around three weeks. That means he will miss the first leg of the Champions League against Dortmund.
Marc-André ter Stegen is recovering from a severe injury to his knee since September 2024. He rejoined partial team training and should return before the end of the season, though he’s not exactly sure if he’ll play in the forthcoming game.
Ronald Araujo’s inclusion on the squad list is something of a bonus, but given that the player has been out with a long-standing hamstring injury there’s not much chance of him being prominent in the immediate coming game.
Defender Andreas Christensen is also unavailable along with forwards Marc Bernal and Ansu Fati
In view of all of these absentees, Hansi Flick might be in favour of young stars like Gavi and Fermn López taking over Olmo’s midfield position
Borussia Dortmund Team News
Dortmund also contends with injury concerns:
Serhou Guirassy, the club’s leading goal-scorer (24 goals and seven assists this season), missed the game against Mainz with minor abductor muscle strain, although it’s not clear whether he’ll be available to face Barcelona.
Karim Adeyemi is nearing fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the fall.
Süle, along with fellow central defender Waldemar Anton, is out for a while recovering from a muscle problem.
Possible Lineup
Barcelona Probable Starting XI:
Goalkeeper:
Wojciech Szczęsny
Defenders:
Jules Koundé
Ronald Araújo
Iñigo Martínez
Alejandro Balde
Midfielders:
Pedri
Gavi
Frenkie de Jong
Forwards:
Raphinha
Robert Lewandowski
Lamine Yamal
Borussia Dortmund Probable Starting XI:
Goalkeeper:
Gregor Kobel
Defenders:
Waldemar Anton
Emre Can
Nico Schlotterbeck
Julian Ryerson
Midfielders:
Julian Brandt
Pascal Groß
Marcel Sabitzer
Forwards:
Karim Adeyemi
Serhou Guirassy
Maximilian Beier
Tactical Considerations
Barcelona: With Hansi Flick in charge Barcelona will continue to play possession-based football and build attacks at the back, and expect the 3-man midfield trio of Pedri, Gavi and de Jong to have that control of the game and also be capable of passing well to the forwards.
Dortmund: The Bundesliga leaders will use a high pressing method to disrupt the other team’s build-up play and potentially the return of Karim Adeyemi will provide pace and creativity in their attacking options.
Top Players to Watch in F.C Barcelona vs. Dortmund
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
The Polish striker remains his superior finisher and will be an imminent link in trying to break down Dortmund’s defence.
Pedri (Barcelona)
Pedri’s creativity and good footwork will be crucial to controls the midfield, his ability to cut off defenses with precise passing will help Barcelona dictate the tone.
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
The young winger has been massively impressive this season, his ability to pick up the dribble, the pace and the ability to play one-on-one make him very dangerous in attack.
Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund)
Adeyemi’s pace and aggressive running ability may pose an alarming threat to Barcelona’s defensive line, not least because of his ability to find spaces in the air during transitional play.
Julian Brandt (Dortmund)
A versatile midfielder who can create goal-scoring chances, but can also offer protection at times in defence.
Gregor Kobel (Dortmund)
Kobel will have to perform brilliantly to prevent a Barcelona side that will want to carry out a big attack when they play Dortmund.
Last Thoughts
F.C Barcelona vs. Dortmund promises to be an exciting match. Will Lewandowski use his experience to punish his former Bundesliga rivals, or will Yamal step up and shine on the big stage? Can Adeyemi and Brandt break through Barcelona’s defense?
Now, it’s over to you, who do you think will make the biggest impact? Will Yamal or Lewandowski find the back of the net? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comment section.
Also which match up do you want to see the analysis next?
