In this year’s Champions League, the two teams faced off in the group stage as well.
Barcelona secured their place in the quarter-finals the previous day after defeating Benfica. Now, their opponent is confirmed. In the fight for a semi-final spot, the five-time European champions will face last season’s runners-up, Borussia Dortmund.
In the second leg of the Round of 16, Dortmund won 2-1 against Lille on Wednesday night, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate score.
After drawing 1-1 in the first leg, Dortmund conceded a goal in the fifth minute at Lille’s stadium. However, they came back in the second half, scoring two goals within 11 minutes to seal the win.
The previous day, Barcelona defeated Benfica 3-1, securing a 4-1 aggregate victory to make it to the last eight.
In the first stage of this revamped Champions League, Barcelona and Dortmund also faced each other. Barcelona won 3-2 on the road, under the management of Hansi Flick.
Barcelona finished second in their group of 36 teams, advancing to the knockout stage. They won six of their eight matches, drawing one and losing one.
Dortmund, however, did not qualify directly for the Round of 16 by finishing in the top eight. They ended the group stage in 10th place with five wins. They secured their spot in the last 16 after defeating Sporting Lisbon 3-0 on aggregate in the play-offs.
Dortmund, the 1997 Champions League winners, lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in last season’s final, which was their first since 2013.
Barcelona’s last final appearance was in 2015 when they defeated Juventus to win their fifth Champions League title.
In their three previous encounters in the competition, Barcelona has never lost to Dortmund. In the 2019-20 season, after a goalless draw in Dortmund, Barcelona won 3-1 at home.
