Barcelona’s recent match against Borussia Dortmund was a standout event, far beyond what many foresaw.

The Catalan club has been one of Europe’s most efficient outfits this season, especially in 2025 where they remain unbeaten. Still, a dominant 4-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals was an unexpectedly stellar outcome.

They now aim to build on that success in Tuesday’s second leg and confirm their spot in the semi-finals. Given past experiences with second-leg meltdowns, though, they must proceed with caution.

Barça Universal outlines three key topics before the Dortmund vs Barcelona clash.

Pedri and Yamal deserve a break

Barcelona have consistently controlled their fixtures this season, often creating clear separation on the scoreboard.

In contrast, their narrow win over Leganes this past weekend highlighted some concerning signs for manager Hansi Flick.

First, Flick’s selection of a near full-strength lineup emphasized how seriously he took the match — and how necessary that approach ended up being.

At the same time, the performance revealed the exhaustion of key players like Pedri and Lamine Yamal, who clearly need rest.

Though neither was particularly poor, both appeared drained and lacked spark at Butarque. Rotating them on Tuesday should be a priority.

Yamal could make way for Raphinha on the right, with Ferran Torres on the left. Pedri’s role, meanwhile, could be filled capably by Gavi.

A call to make in defence

Already trailing by four goals, Dortmund are sure to come out aggressively and test Barcelona’s defensive line from the first whistle.

Choosing the right centre-back pairing is crucial for Flick, though multiple aspects must be considered.

Most notably, Inigo Martinez is one booking away from missing the potential first semi-final leg – a risk Barça may not want to take.

Keeping Martinez on the bench may be the safer route, especially with Dortmund likely to go all-in on offense and bombard the backline.

Still, Martinez has arguably been Barça’s standout defender this season, and his key intervention against Leganes reaffirmed his importance. Not having him could be a setback.

Flick must now decide whether to risk using Martinez, or rely on Pau Cubarsi and Ronald Araujo to secure the defense. Eric Garcia is also an option, especially if ball-playing ability is preferred.

Focusing on the match, not the lead

Barcelona haven’t tasted defeat in 2025 so far, and much of that stems from their mindset of approaching each match as if it were a final.