Barcelona, Spain — FC Barcelona go face Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final. The match dey take place for Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with kickoff set for 9 p.m. CEST (8 p.m. GMT). This match fit determine who go get the upper hand as both teams dey hungry for glory.
Barcelona, wey just score 32 goals for this season Champions League, dey ride high under coach Hansi Flick. Dem enter this quarter-final after dem handle Benfica easily, winning 4-1 on aggregate. Manager Flick don lead Barca to become one of the three teams wey don reach 20 or more quarter-finals in the competition’s history, joining Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund go enter Barcelona with mixed form but strong threat. Dem just qualify for dis round after beating Lille 3-2 on aggregate, and Niko Kovač dey try steady their ship after di sacking of former manager Nuri Sahin. Striker Serhou Guirassy dey shine for Dortmund, with 10 goals and 4 assists in the tournament, sharing historic stakes with Mohamed Salah for most goal involvements by an African player in single Champions League season.
The two teams don meet before for di group stage, and last time, Barca win 3-2 for Signal Iduna Park. As dem gather to clash again, Pundits and fans dey expect injury reports to weigh some decisions. For Barcelona, Dani Olmo dey out due to adductor injury. For Dortmund, centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck don tear him meniscus, adding pressure to di squad.
Barcelona fans go dey hopeful as dem don remain unbeaten against Dortmund for di last five European clashes (W3 D2). Plus, the statistics dey back dem to continue their dominant streak. According to Opta Analyst, Barcelona dey enjoy a strong probability of 65.7% to win dis first leg, while Dortmund dey find themselves at 16.1%, with a possible 18.2% for draw.
As Barcelona prepare to defend their home turf, fans expect a high-scoring affair given di attacking prowess of both sides. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski dey poised to deliver, while Serhou Guirassy go look for chances to strike back for Dortmund.
Kickoff dey come close, and as we dey await di tactical battle between these two European giants, one thing sure – football fans worldwide don ready to witness what go be a thrilling night under di lights in Barcelona.
