Three talking points ahead of Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona | UEFA Champions League | OneFootball

Barcelona’s game against Borussia Dortmund last week was truly special and not something many expected.

It is well known that the Catalans are one of Europe’s most well-oiled teams this season, especially in 2025 where they are undefeated. Yet, a 4-0 win in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals is a result simply too good to have been anticipated.

On Tuesday night, they will look to capitalise on the hard work they put in last week and see off Dortmund, thereby sealing a place in the semi-final of the competition. Given their history of massive second-leg slip-ups, however, they must err on the side of caution.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona.

Pedri and Yamal need to rest

Barcelona have imposed themselves in most of their games this season, taking charge of the proceedings and creating a sizeable gap between them and their opponents on the scorecard.

Playing this weekend’s game against Leganes, however, they managed only a paltry one-goal margin and the result conveyed several important messages to Hansi Flick.

For starters, it was reflective of the manager’s understanding of how important the game was that he fielded an exceedingly strong lineup that eventually turned out to be necessary.

What it also showed, however, was that some key players are in dire need of rest and fast – Pedri and Lamine Yamal in particular.

While both players did not make any blatant errors on the night, they were far from their best version and looked fatigued at Butarque. The priority tomorrow, thus, should be rotating the Spanish duo.

Yamal can be replaced by Raphinha on the right wing, with Ferran Torres being deployed on the left. Pedri, meanwhile, can be replaced by Gavi who is more than capable of getting the job done.

A decision in defence

Inigo Martinez has four yellow cards in the UCL. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Already four goals down, there is little doubt that Dortmund will try to dominate the game from the get-go and put pressure on Barcelona’s defence tomorrow night.

Selecting the centre-back combination, thus, is key for the manager but there are several factors affecting his decision.

The biggest factor, undoubtedly, is the situation of Inigo Martinez who finds himself one yellow card away from suspension in the first leg of the semifinal – something Barcelona simply cannot afford.

It is thus in Flick’s best interest to keep the veteran star on the bench tomorrow, especially given that Dortmund will throw the kitchen sink for a goal and seriously pressurise the centre-backs.

Concurrently, however, Martinez has been Barcelona’s best defender this season and his match-winning tackle in the game against Leganes showed why he is so crucial. Playing without him on the field would be a handicap of sorts.

Flick must choose if he will risk Martinez against Dortmund tomorrow or trust Pau Cubarsi and Ronald Araujo to hold the fortress. A third option is Eric Garcia, especially should the coach prioritise distribution over brute defence.

Not playing for the aggregate score

Barcelona are unbeaten in 2025 over three months into the year, and the only reason they have been able to pull off that feat is because they truly treat every game as a final.

After their year-end slump in December, the Blaugrana needed a strong run of momentum in La Liga to return to the driver’s seat and have done so emphatically this year.

Tomorrow’s clash in the UEFA Champions League may practically be won by the pre-existing four-goal margin, but the key lies in playing like they have all year – for a win.

Barcelona have every right in the world to play for a draw at Signal Iduna Park, but they would simply attract the pressure on themselves by doing so. Going out and playing their natural attacking game, thus, would be the best way forward.

As such, it is critical that the Blaugrana do not play for the aggregate score which is dominantly in their favour but treat the clash as a fresh slate. Should they go out seeing it as a one-off clash, they can put the tie to bed earlier than they expect.

With Hansi Flick as the coach, however, there is not much reason to believe any different version of Barcelona will turn up other than the goal-scoring machine that played last week.