Barcelona welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Wednesday evening for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Kick-off is at 8 p.m. Moroccam time (GMT+1), and fans can catch the action live on BeIN Sports Arabic, BeIN Sports English, Canal+ Foot, and M+ Liga de Campeones.
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Hansi Flick’s side arrive in strong form, having eased past Benfica 4-1 on aggregate in the round of 16. That result saw them become only the third club to reach 20 or more quarter-finals in the competition’s history, alongside Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Barcelona have scored 32 goals in the tournament so far – more than any other side remaining, and their highest tally since 2011-12. Brazilian forward Raphinha has played a central role, with 11 goals and five assists in 10 appearances.
Manager Flick also boasts the best scoring average of any coach in Champions League history, with his teams netting 89 goals across 28 matches – an average of 3.2 per game.
Seventeen-year-old Lamine Yamal made headlines in the previous round, becoming the youngest player in Champions League history to score and assist in the same match.
Midfielder Gavi is expected to feature after returning from a serious knee injury. Speaking to the press ahead of the tie, the Spain international said he felt “100%” fit and dismissed criticism of his playing style.
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Borussia Dortmund, managed by Niko Kovač, progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Lille. Striker Serhou Guirassy has 10 goals and four assists in the tournament – matching Mohamed Salah’s record for most goal involvements by an African player in a single Champions League campaign.
Barcelona beat Dortmund 3-2 in the group stage, and remain unbeaten in five European meetings with the German club (W3 D2). Flick has also won all six of his managerial encounters with Dortmund.
Dani Olmo is out for Barcelona with an adductor injury. Centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck is sidelined for Dortmund after tearing his meniscus.
Score Prediction
According to Opta Analyst, Barcelona have a 65.7% chance of winning the first leg. Dortmund are rated at 16.1%, with an 18.2% chance of a draw. Barcelona are given a 78% probability of reaching the semi-finals – higher than any other remaining team.
Verdict: Barcelona 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
