Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona will aim to continue their superb starts to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League when they clash at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.
The curtains will fall on Matchday 6 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. The action will start with two early games before culminating with seven simultaneous matches, including Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona have been two of the most impressive teams in the UEFA Champions League this season. While the Blaugrana kicked things off with the defeat to AS Monaco on Matchday 1, the home side’s only defeat came against Real Madrid on Matchday 3.
However, the two sides have endured vastly contrasting fortunes in domestic football. While Barcelona’s form has faltered in recent weeks, they remain perched atop La Liga, with Real Madrid two points behind them. On the other hand, the Black and Yellows have won only six of their 13 Bundesliga games, falling 12 points behind the table-topping Bayern Munich.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Nuri Sahin has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Borussia Dortmund manager might be bereft of the services of as many as six first-team players vs Barcelona on Wednesday.
Niklas Sule (ankle) and Maximilian Beier (knock) are the latest absentees, with the duo picking up their issues this past weekend against Borussia Monchengladbach. The two German players have joined Waldemar Anton (groin) and Filippo Mane (muscular) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi are closing in on returning but might not be fit enough to feature on Wednesday.
Gregor Kobel will take his spot between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Barcelona on Wednesday. Sule and Anton’s absence means Emre Can should pair up with Nico Schlotterbeck at the heart of the defence, with the duo accompanying Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Felix Nmecha should hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Pascal Gross and Marcel Sabitzer providing the forward thrust from the central areas. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against Barcelona, with Donyell Malen and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Nmecha, Gross; Malen, Guirassy, Bynoe-Gittens
Barcelona
Unlike his counterpart in the Borussia Dortmund dugout, Hansi Flick does not have any new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Signal Iduna Park. The Barcelona manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains the most notable absentee, with the veteran goalkeeper recovering from a long-term knee injury. The German international accompanies Andreas Christensen (achilles), Marc Bernal (ACL), and Ansu Fati (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Inaki Pena will continue deputising for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The backline should feature Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, and Alejandro Balde.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie de Jong should line up alongside Pedri in the double pivot. Dani Olmo will reprise the no. 10 role, with Lamine Yamal being the two wide attackers. Finally, Robert Lewandowski will spearhead the Barcelona attack against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Balde; Pedri, de Jong; Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Key Stats
Barcelona are unbeaten in their four games vs Borussia Dortmund in Europe (W2 D2). Across all competitions, this is the most times the Black and Yellows have faced an opponent in Europe without winning (4).
Borussia Dortmund have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine games against Spanish sides in the UEFA Champions League, conceding 20 goals (2.2 per game). They conceded five to Real Madrid on Matchday 3 this season, losing by three in a match they led 2-0 at half-time (lost 2-5).
Barcelona have been ahead on the scoreboard for 66% of their match time in the UEFA Champions League this season, the highest percentage of any side through the first five rounds of fixtures. Hansi Flick’s men also have the best goal difference of any team in the minutes when leading (+8 – 11 scored, 3 conceded).
In the opening five rounds of fixtures this term, Borussia Dortmund scored the joint-most goals from the 75th minute onwards in the UEFA Champions League (6, level with PSV Eindhoven). Serhou Guirassy has been directly involved in half of those (3/6), scoring twice and providing another assist.
Raphinha has had the most shots and chances created combined of any player in the UEFA Champions League this season (20 shots, 15 chances created), with those an average of 4.5 shots and 3.3 chances created per 90 minutes. The Embed from Getty Images only other Barcelona player to average both of those per 90 minutes in a Champions League season on record is Lionel Messi in 2020/21 (6.2 shots, 3.8 chances created).
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
While Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Serhou Guirassy were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Robert Lewandowski as our Player to Watch as the veteran striker gets set to face his former club for the first time since joining Barcelona.
The Barcelona striker has scored more goals vs Borussia Dortmund than any other opponent in his career, netting 27 times in 26 appearances against them. The Polish international has found the back of the net in his last five outings against the Black and Yellows across all competitions (9 strikes), including his three most recent matches at Signal Iduna Park (5 goals). Expect another game-changing performance by Lewandowski.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund might have blown hot and cold in the Bundesliga, but they have been top-notch in the UEFA Champions League apart from the blip against Real Madrid. In addition, they have scored goals for fun in Europe thus far, although they face another team with a similar outlook in the final third.
In addition, Hansi Flick has an exemplary record against Borussia Dortmund, winning all five meetings with the Black and Yellows. While getting past the home side will be anything but straightforward for Barcelona, they should have enough quality to eke a narrow win. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard fought 3-2 victory for Flick and his charges.