FC Barcelona have emerged as the new favorite to win the UEFA Champions League, and it’s easy to see why, given how they handled Borussia Dortmund in the first leg or their quarterfinal tie.
The 4-0 cushion gives the Blaugranes a chance to play a little bit freer and easier on Tuesday night.
UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals Leg 2/2
FC Barcelona at Borussia Dortmund
Aggregate: Barca is up 4-0
Kickoff: Tue. April 15, 8pm, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
90 Min Result Probability: FC Barcelona 53% Extra Time 22% Borussia Dortmund 25%
Starting XI Predictions: FC Barcelona Borussia Dortmund
The tie isn’t officially killed off yet, but basically it’s donezo. Barca boss may be able to pull his starters at half time of this clash. If they get another goal early on Tuesday night, then we’ll be in dead rubber territory already.
So with that in mind, let’s get to the lineup projection.
FC Barcelona Starting Lineup Prediction at Borussia Dortmund
Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin; Pedri, Frenkie De Jong; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.