No doubt what the headliner is for matchday six of the UEFA Champions League- it’s third place FC Barcelona visiting sixth place Borussia Dortmund. BVB is struggling in the Bundesliga right now, as they sit just sixth in the table for the German top flight. Borussia Dortmund has fared better in continental competition, building off the momentum of the runner-up finish last season.
As for the visitors, they’re still topping the La Liga table, as they have for nearly the entire length of the season thus far.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 of 8
FC Barcelona at Borussia Dortmund
Kickoff: Wed. Dec. 11, 8pm, Signal Iduna Park Dortmund, Germany
Preview Content for Both Sides: Starting XI Predictions Team News
UCL Standing, Form: FC Barcelona, 12 pts, 3rd, LWWWW Borussia Dortmund 34th, 12 pts, WWLWW
First year manager Hansi Flick has thrived thus far, and he’ll now return to his home country. Let’s look at potential first teams for both sides.
Starting XI Predictions
FC Barcelona
Inaki Pena; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Frenkie De Jong; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Borussia Dortmund
Gregor Kobel; Julian Ryerson, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini; Marcel Sabitzer, Felix Nmecha, Pascal Gross; Donyell Malen, Serhou Guirassy, Jamie Gittens
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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.