Barcelona have not reached the last four of the Champions League since that night in May 2019 when a raucous Anfield roared Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to an incredible 4-0 victory in the second leg of their semi-final. Lionel Messi was one of those left shell-shocked that night, and he will doubtless be watching as his old team take on Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday night.
Dortmund, runners-up to Real Madrid in 2024, will not have to face the intimidating atmosphere of the Nou Camp, currently under renovation. But with Lamine Yamal fit and firing and Raphinha having the best season of his career, Barcelona have enough firepower for them to be wary.
Dortmund are also having a horrendous season in Germany. They lie in eighth in the Bundesliga, a whopping 27 points behind Bayern Munich, having lost 11 of their 28 matches. There was also a second-round exit in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) to VfL Wolfsburg.
“He is very dynamic and ready for tomorrow’s game.” – Flick on Raphinha
In contrast, Barcelona have a four-point cushion over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, and finished behind only Liverpool in the league phase of the Champions League. They beat Dortmund 3-2 earlier in the season, but Flick is understandably cautious given that Niko Kovac, once his mentor, is now in charge of Dortmund. “Niko is a fantastic coach, a wonderful person and I’m looking forward to meeting him again,” said Flick, who lifted the trophy with Bayern in 2020.
Raphinha has had his minutes rationed since the international break in March, and will be a key player against a Dortmund side missing the experience of Marcel Sabitzer and Nico Schlotterbeck. “After the break, we have given him a little time to recover, but in training he is fantastic,” said Flick of his Brazilian star. “He is very dynamic and ready for tomorrow’s game.”
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