Jadon Sancho and Borussia Dortmund head to Barcelona knowing they can secure a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage against Lionel Messi’s side on Wednesday (kick-off: 9pm CET/8pm GMT/3pm ET).


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The Spanish champions maintained their lead in the league on goal difference over Real Madrid thanks to a 2-1 comeback win at Leganes on Saturday, with former Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Arturo Vidal coming off the bench to net the decisive goal. In the Champions League, Barcelona top Group F on eight points – one ahead of Dortmund – with two wins and two draws from the first four games. They were most recently held to a goalless draw at home by bottom side Slavia Prague, which was the same scoreline as in their opening match at the Signal Iduna Park. BVB dominated that game, but were denied a win by former Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s save from Marco Reus’ penalty. While Barca’s front line is fit, including captain Messi and ex-Dortmund attacker Ousmane Dembele, the Catalan side have issues at the back with Gerard Pique suspended and the rest of the first-choice back four all doubts with injuries.

As with Barcelona, Dortmund know they will qualify for the last 16 with a win at the Camp Nou, beating out Slavia Prague and Inter Milan. BVB came from behind to beat the latter 3-2 at home in the last round of games, with Achraf Hakimi netting a brace either side of Julian Brandt’s equaliser. Dortmund skipper Reus missed that game with an ankle problem but returned for his first start since early November in Friday’s 3-3 draw at home to Paderborn. Reus scored an injury-time equaliser to complete the comeback from 3-0 down at half-time, while Sancho also got on the scoresheet. Dortmund lost former Barca striker Paco Alcacer with a gash to his knee, however, and the Spaniard has not traveled with the squad back to his homeland. Real Madrid loanee Hakimi, though, looks set to start at left-back in place of Nico Schulz.

Match stats
If they beat Barcelona, Dortmund will qualify for the last 16 for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.
Hakimi is BVB’s top scorer in the current Champions League campaign with four goals, having grabbed braces in the wins over Slavia Prague and Inter.
Dortmund have won on just one of their 15 previous visits to Spain (D5, L9), beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the 1996/97 Champions League group stage on their way to lifting the trophy.
Winning the Champions League that season qualified BVB for the two-legged 1997 UEFA Super Cup, which they lost 3-1 on aggregate to Barcelona. That was the only time the clubs had met until this term.
On Matchday 1, the two sides played out a 0-0 draw in Dortmund. As well as seeing Reus have his penalty saved, Brandt hit the crossbar as BVB had 14 shots on goal to Barca’s seven.
Dortmund have taken just a point from their last two Bundesliga outings, losing 4-0 to Bayern Munich before drawing with bottom side Paderborn. That was the first time they’d overhauled a three-goal deficit since a 3-3 draw with rivals Schalke in September 2008.

Probable line-ups
Barcelona: ter Stegen – Roberto, Lenglet, Umtiti, Firpo – de Jong, Busquets – Messi (c) – Dembele, Suarez, Griezmann
Doubtful: Alba (muscular), Semedo (muscular)
Out: Pique (suspended)
Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek, Akanji, Hummels, Hakimi – Witsel, Weigl – Sancho, Reus (c), Hazard – Götze
Doubtful: –
Out: Alcacer (stomach bug), Bruun Larsen (knee), Delaney (ankle)
Coach: Lucien Favre