Borussia Dortmund take on the visitors Barcelona in the round 6 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Wednesday, December 11th at Signal Iduna Stadium (Dortmund).
Borussia Dortmund narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title in 2023, due to a home draw on the final matchday. In the following season, they not only lost out to Bayern but also fell short in the battle for 4th place to RB Leipzig, finishing 5th in the Bundesliga standings. Despite reaching the Champions League final during that time, the club parted ways with Terzić. Paradoxically, under new coach Nuri Şahin, Dortmund has been performing better in Europe than domestically. While their Bundesliga form has been a mixed bag—excellent at home but poor away—they have impressed in the Champions League. Only Real Madrid managed to come back from a 0-2 deficit in Madrid. Dortmund has defeated all their other opponents, including Club Brugge, Celtic, Sturm Graz, and Dinamo Zagreb. Dortmund’s strong European form suggests they will attack fearlessly, especially at home, where Şahin’s tactics have shone. Their ability to score early, as they did against Real Madrid, could give them an edge.
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Barcelona suffer a self-inflicted decline. The "Blaugrana" have been playing under Hansi Flick since the summer, following the dismissal of Xavi after a trophyless season. Flick’s team started La Liga strongly, and it seemed like the German coach would lead them to a league title with ease. However, a dismal stretch starting in November overshadowed their efforts, including an impressive 4-0 away victory in El Clásico against Real Madrid. In the Champions League, however, Barcelona has been dominant. Despite a stumble in Monaco, where they lost in a match played mostly with ten men, they have been imperious, securing big wins over Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Brest, and a home thrashing of Bayern Munich—finally avenging a string of prior defeats to the German giants. Barcelona’s resurgence in the Champions League, coupled with Flick’s tactical flexibility, makes them dangerous. Their recent demolition of Bayern highlights their ability to perform on big occasions.
The teams have faced each other in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup and the 2019 Champions League. In both instances, Barcelona won at home and earned a draw in Germany. These teams are simply incapable of playing dull football. A high-scoring match seems inevitable, making a bet on a high "total goals" count a logical choice.
Prediction for the match: Over 3.0 scored goals.
