Football betting tips: Champions League
1pt Carney Chukwuemeka to be shown a card at 7/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt Daniel Svensson to be shown a card at 7/1 (Sky Bet)
BuildABet @ 28/1
- Carney Chukwuemeka to be shown a card
- Raphinha 1+ assists
- Barcelona 6+ corners
Barcelona landed the preferred opposition for many at the quarter-final stage of this competition, with Borussia Dortmund playing out a campaign which has failed to meet expectation.
Last season's finalists have improved slightly but they remain 8th in the Bundesliga table and facing an uphill task to feature in this competition again in September.
It's a different story for the hosts in Spain.
They top the LaLiga standings with a comfortable four-point gap over Real Madrid and possess an attack which is seemingly punishing any defence which stands in its way.
Hansi Flick's side have scored 83 in Spain's top-flight, with 32 coming in Europe. There is the potential for one of these contests to end up in a comfortable Barcelona victory.
What are the best bets?
Perhaps, then, there is a little bit of value in the even money quotes with multiple bookmakers that Barcelona find the net at least three times here.
Robert Lewandowski is a best price of 4/5 to be among the goals - he's got 38 in 44 appearances across all competitions.
But with Dortmund expected to be on the back foot throughout, I'm interested in the potential value available in the cards markets.
CARNEY CHUKWUEMEKA started and scored in their last Bundesliga game, and his removal as a substitute in the second-half suggests involvement from the off on Wednesday.
He completed two successful tackles while also seeing one foul. Chukwuemeka was booked despite being a late sub in their loss at Leipzig a couple of weeks ago.
A best price of 7/1 on CHUKWUEMEKA TO BE SHOWN A CARD therefore provides appeal, with prices of 5/1 and above elsewhere also back-able.
While the on-loan Chelsea midfielder has played in attacking roles in the past, his likely position in this Dortmund set-up is more deeper.
He was booked when starting both of Chelsea's first two in the Premier League last season before a knee injury sidelined him for the long term.
Those were when featuring in an attacking area too, showing that he can still catch the referee's attention even if they swap him with Julian Brandt further forward.
Another bet which catches the eye at the same price is DANIEL SVENSSON TO BE SHOWN A CARD. It's worth checking the starting line-ups for this one though.
The left-back, another figure on loan although this from Nordsjaelland, has made nine appearances since his switch in the January window.
He's started three of four Champions League games as he missed the second leg win over Lille through injury and while they played a back four in those games, his involvement on the left of the five last time out gives hope that he can play both roles if they opt to stick with it here.
Svensson was booked twice for his parent club in the first half of the campaign while he was shown five yellows across last season.
The Sweden international committed three fouls in the first leg against Lille with two coming away at Sporting. He managed to avoid cautions on both occasions though.
Referee Espen Eskås has shown at least four yellows in four of his six Champions League outings this season, with 11 coming as Rangers went to penalties against Fenerbahce in the Europa League a few weeks ago.
Team news
Barcelona centre-back Inigo Martinez is facing a race to be fit enough to feature with a slight muscular issue. He has returned to training though.
Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, Dani Olmo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all absent for the hosts.
Dortmund have availability issues in midfield with Pascal Groß suspended and Marcel Sabitzer out through injury.
Defender Nico Schlotterbeck is also unavailable and we await to see if the visitors return to a flat back four or stick with three centre-backs.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Dortmund XI: Kobel; Can, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Chukwuemeka, Svensson; Brandt, Beier; Guirassy.
Match facts
- Barcelona are unbeaten in their five meetings with Borussia Dortmund in European competition (W3 D2), including a victory over them earlier in this season’s UEFA Champions League (3-2). Only against Lyon (8), Napoli (6) and Werder Bremen (6) have they played more in Europe without losing.
- While Borussia Dortmund haven’t won any of their five games against Barcelona (D2 L3), they’ve only gone six consecutive European matches without beating an opponent against two other sides; one of which is another Spanish team (6 v Real Madrid in 2024, along with 7 v Rangers in 1999).
- Across his spells with Bayern Munich and current club Barcelona, Hansi Flick has won all six of his meetings with Borussia Dortmund; his best 100% record against an opponent in this period. His sides have averaged three goals per game against them (18 in total), and netted at least three goals in five of the six matches.
- Borussia Dortmund have only won three of their 20 away matches against Spanish opponents in European competition (D5 L12), while they’ve only won one of the 10 such matches in the knockout stages (D2 L7): 3-2 v Sevilla in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in February 2021.
- Borussia Dortmund have only lost one of their last eight games in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League (W5 D2), with that lone defeat coming against Real Madrid in last season’s final (0-2). They’ve won each of their last three away games in the knockout stages of this competition, more than they had in their previous 17 such matches combined (D4 L11).
- Of managers with 10+ games in charge of a team in the UEFA Champions League, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have the highest goals per game average in the competition’s history (3.2 – 32 goals in 10 matches). Indeed, the only other side to average 3+ goals per match under a specific manager was Bayern Munich, under Hansi Flick (3.17 – 57 goals in 18).
- Raphinha has been directly involved in 16 goals in 10 appearances in the UEFA Champions League this season (11 goals, five assists); only Lionel Messi in 2011-12 has had a hand in more in a single edition for Barcelona (19 – 14 goals, five assists).
- Jamie Gittens has netted four goals for Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League this season; the most of any played aged under 21 in 2024-25. Indeed, the only player to net more for the club in a single edition of the competition while 21 or younger is Erling Haaland (10 goals in 2020-21).
- In Barcelona’s win against Benfica last time out, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player ever to score and assist in a UEFA Champions League match (17y 241d). Meanwhile, only Rafael Leão (39) has completed more dribbles than the teenager (33) in the competition this term.
- Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was the top-ranked goalkeeper for goals prevented in the UEFA Champions League last season (+6.9 – nine conceded from 15.9 xG on target). This season, however, he ranks 23rd out of the 40 goalkeepers with 300+ minutes played (+0.4 – 14 conceded from 14.4 xG on target).
Odds correct at 1115 BST (08/04/25)
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