Borussia Dortmund hosts Barcelona in the second leg of their quarterfinal match at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday, knowing that they must give Barcelona a taste of their own medicine in order to survive in the Champions League.
La Blaugrana set the stage for a semi-final matchup with either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich after the Bundesliga team was thrashed 4-0 by Hansi Flick's team in the first game last week.
Although the Barcelona front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez will always be regarded as one of the most formidable offensive combinations in history, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski are definitely giving the dreadful trio a serious run for their money in that respect.
With Saturday's 1-0 La Liga victory over Leganes, the Blaugrana have now won all 24 of their 2025 games, and Flick is still on track to complete an incredible quadruple with the team. The Blaugrana are currently leading La Liga, have already won the Supercopa de Espana, and will play Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 26.
The team is aiming for an incredible ninth consecutive away victory at Signal Iduna Park, which will further pique the interest of Barcelona supporters. Flick's team has won all 16 of their previous trip games, losing only to Real Sociedad on November 10.
Barca has won all three of its UCL matches against German clubs after losing their previous five, indicating a change in the balance of power as Flick's squad looks to live up to their nickname as favorites. This season, they have defeated Dortmund twice and thrashed Bayern 4-1.
All three of Flick’s dynamic forwards were in top form during last week’s first leg, with Lewandowski netting twice against his former club, sandwiching goals from Raphinha and Yamal. Raphinha’s performance saw him equal Messi’s Barcelona record for the most goal contributions in a single Champions League campaign (19).
While Barcelona supporters rejoiced, Dortmund fans were likely left grieving their hopes of surpassing their 2023-24 Champions League run. Historically, in the 159 instances where a team has fallen four or more goals behind in the first leg of a UCL knockout tie, they’ve been eliminated 158 times.
Barcelona themselves pulled off a miraculous recovery against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, but Dortmund’s persistent struggles throughout a rocky 2024-25 season make it hard to imagine Niko Kovac’s squad replicating that feat this Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund at least salvaged some pride in Saturday’s Bundesliga clash against Bayern Munich, earning a commendable 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena. However, their home form has been dismal, with just three wins in their last 12 games at Signal Iduna Park, where their fortress has faltered.
That poor home record includes a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona earlier in the league phase, adding to La Blaugrana’s current six-match unbeaten streak against the German side in European contests.
Dortmund’s longest winless run in Europe came against Rangers (seven games from 1996 to 1999), but on a brighter note for Barcelona, they’re riding their longest-ever unbeaten streak at the start of a calendar year.
