Barcelona will face Borussia Dortmund tonight in a crucial Champions League match. The Catalans are hoping to recover from their recent struggles and secure a spot within the top eight.
Both teams are currently tied with 12 points, with Barcelona sitting in sixth place and Dortmund just behind in seventh.
Interestingly, the German side has been a better playing team than Barcelona if statistics are anything to by.
A look at the numbers
To put things in perspective, Dortmund have enjoyed better possession this season compared to Barcelona, having ranked fifth in the Champions League, averaging 58.2%.
This puts them ahead of Barcelona, who are in seventh place with 56% possession. The top teams in this category are Stuttgart, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, with City leading the chart with 67.2% possession.
Barcelona trail Borussia Dortmund in some stats. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
For what it is worth, the difference in possession figures between Barcelona’s performances in domestic and European competitions is notable.
In La Liga, Barcelona average 66% possession in the 2024/2025 season, which is a 10% increase compared to their Champions League numbers.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund maintain a consistent possession rate of 58% both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
There is more
When it comes to passing accuracy, Borussia Dortmund are in fourth place, with a passing accuracy of 89.8%. In contrast, Barcelona are not even in the top 10 for this statistic, sitting in 14th place with an accuracy of 87.2%.
While Barcelona have struggled in some areas, they do hold an advantage over Borussia Dortmund in terms of goals scored.
The Blaugrana have netted 18 goals in the competition, leading the group, while Dortmund has scored 16, placing them in third. In fact, this is the only reason why they are above the German team.