Welcome to TalkBarca. This is the time of the year that we have been waiting desperately. The wait for football fans from around the world is finally coming to an end. Champions League is back! Today, we are going to discuss Dortmund vs Barcelona Match Preview.

FC Barcelona is fresh of a great victory against Valencia in LaLiga this weekend. However, new challenges lie ahead of the Catalonia squad. Barcelona is now going to face Dortmund in the Champions League. Speaking of Champions League, Barca have been out of luck in this competition for 3-4 seasons. However, this season must be different for us. We have what it takes. We just need to put in the right effort.

Dortmund vs Barcelona Match Preview

Other than Dortmund, Barcelona have Slavia Prague and Inter Milan in their group (Group F) which they will face later on in the campaign. It’s a tough group and we have to be on top of our game to finish on the top. So, without any delay let’s start Dortmund vs Barcelona Match Preview.

Kick-off Timings:

The match is scheduled on 17th September kicking off at 9 PM as per local time. It’s a perfect night for Champions Leauge Football and fans would be eager to watch it from all over the world. You can look at the image below and check the timings for your respective country.

Squad for Dortmund vs Barcelona

FC Barcelona have released a squad of 18 players who would travel to Germany for our away fixture in Champions Leauge.

Goalkeepers: Ter Stegen, Neto, Inaki Pena.

Defenders: N. Semedo, Piqué, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Junior Firpo, Todibo, and Wague.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Arthur, F. De Jong, I. Rakitic, Vidal, S. Roberto, and Aleñá.

Attackers: Messi, Suarez, Griezmann, C . Perez and Ansu Fati.

Players Not Included in the squad: O. Dembélé and Umtiti miss out the tour to Signal Iduna Park Stadium in Dortmund due to injury.

EXPECTED LINEUP

Goalkeeper:

Marc Ter Stegen is the first choice goalkeeper without any doubt. He showed brilliant performance against Valencia in LaLiga this weekend. Ter Stegen is expected to deliver a similar kind of punch and he needs to lead his side from the back.

Defense:

LEFT BACK AND RIGHT BACK:

On the left, Jordi Alba is the first and most obvious choice. Alba is used to playing pressure matches especially away from home. Therefore, his maximum presence is needed on the pitch. Jordi Alba’s attacking attributes are highly needed in this fixture as well. He makes forward runs and puts in crosses or lethal cut backs time and time again. This kind of play is needed in order to break the yellow wall of Dortmund.

On the right, Semedo is the most likely option to start. Currently, Semedo is not in a very good form. So, it would interesting to see if Valverde starts Roberto at the right back. However, from a tactical point of view, it would be a better choice to start Semedo considering his conservative nature. Dortmund usually play counter attacking football against big teams and Semedo’s pace would be needed to deal with it.

CENTER BACKS:

The choice for both Center Backs is also very predictable. Both Gerrard Pique and Leglet look good to start against Borrusia Dortmund. Moreover, both of these central defenders are having good games recently. However, they must step up their games even more because playing away in Germany especially in Champions League tournament won’t be a piece of cake.

Most importantly, it’s always difficult for any team to visit Signal Iduna Park Stadium in Dortmund. They have the best crowd in the world and Dortmund is capable of troubling any side at their home ground Signal Iduna Park Stadium. We have witnessed it several times against the likes of Bayern Munich.

MIDFIELD:

After a great performance against Valencia, De Jong and Arthur Melo’s duo is expected to start this fixture too. Busquets also delivered a high-class performance and he is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup. We have a great depth in the midfield and almost every one of these midfielders is good enough to be in the starting XI. However, for me, Busquets, De Jong, and Arthur is the ultimate midfield that can take on any challenge.

Attack:

WINGERS:

Ansu Fati is the first choice to start on the left wing. This is due to his great performance in the previous outing. Ansu looks really promising now and his confidence seems to get more and more with the playing time he is getting under Valverde. Ansu’s role will also be crucial in this match. Furthermore, it will also be Ansu’s test of nerve because we know what fan strength Dortmund has especially at home.

On the other side of the pitch, Carlos Perez is expected to start at the Right wing. Carlos is delivering promising performances as well. The youngster needs to play his natural game and needs to play to his strengths if Valverde does make him start this match as well.

STRIKERS:

I expect Valverde to start with Antoine Griezmann, just like the previous fixture. Griezmann’s role in this fixture will be important. Griezmann not only presses from the front, but also engages in small plays and creates a lot of chances as well. However, he has to start to find the net more often especially in such big fixtures.

Controversy in Barcelona Attack:

There is a lot of controversy considering our front 3. Who will be our front 3 against Dortmund is still a mystery. Both Messi and Suarez are back in the squad, which means we can see Griezmann at the left Wing, Suarez in the center, and Messi on the right side.

Even if Messi is not included in the starting lineup, we can still expect Griezmann and Suarez to start simultaneously. However, the real question is, is that wise to play Griezmann and Suarez together against such an opponent? I don’t think so. Why? It’s because Griezmann tends to play in a central role. Even if he is playing on the left wing, we would see him operating in the center areas on several occasions.

Dortmund forwards play narrow, and our defenders would have to narrow down to cope with them. In such cases, if Giezmann, moves in the center, it would create an opportunity for Dortmund full backs to exploit that space and hit us on the counter much like what we saw against Athletic Club.

If both Griezmann and Suarez start the game, it would best for Griezmann to stay wide and come central only when there is cover on the wide side. But that cover has to be offered by Jordi Alba or Suarez. It wouldn’t be wise to disturb the midfield in an attempt to cover the space voided by Griezmann.

The Bench:

Our bench is pretty solid, especially in the midfield area. We have Arturo Vidal who can come and bring in more physicality on the pitch. Furthermore, we have Ivan Rakitic who can also play a pivotal role in the midfield. Ivan also has good scoring abilities which can be useful to us in any moment of the game.

Suarez delivered a punch in the previous fixture. Not yet expected to start, but, Suarez can bring life to attack in the dying moments of the game. The most important discussion of the day is if Lionel Messi is fit to play or not. Reports claim that Messi is fit to play and asked Valverde to give him at least 30 minutes of play.

Messi, if returns can really change the game. However, we cannot expect him to come and start doing magic right away. This is because he has been unfit for a long time and chances are that he might not be able to perform very well. However, he is Lionel Messi and with Messi, you never know what to expect.

Personally, I think Messi should be on the bench. He should only come in the second half if it’s necessary. If our starting lineup is doing well and we have a lead, we should not risk him in this game. It’s simple because Messi has not played a competitive game since July. We have to ease him into the team. Also, seeing Messi on the bench consistantly puts pressure on the opposition.

Dortmund vs Barcelona Score Prediction:

I think Barcelona will win this game with 1 goal margin. I predict 1-2 scoreline for in Dortmund vs Barcelona. Yes, I do believe that we can win here. Our squad has the depth to trouble the Dortmund defense even if Dembele and most likely, Messi is missing.

Verdict:

The midfield would the key in this away game, we would have to control the game and create chances. Most importantly, we would have to take those chances and convert them. Every player must be on his toes the entire time and chances for error are very slim.

That was all from TalkBarca regarding Dortmund vs Barcelona Match Preview. What do you guys think of this match preview? Do you believe that Barcelona can win this game away from home? What are your thoughts on the expected lineup? Let us know in the comments section below. Until next time, Visca El Barca!