Failing a collapse at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Hansi Flick has Barcelona on observe for the Champions League semi-finals and a return to the European elite after a rocky decade in Catalonia. A semi-final putting, the place Barcelona would possible be favourites to make the ultimate, would characterize the high-water mark to date for the Catalan giants within the post-Lionel Messi period. Four factors away from Real Madrid within the league with seven video games remaining, and likewise dealing with Los Blancos within the Copa del Ray ultimate, Barcelona are having fun with their greatest season since Messi’s departure.
Since profitable all of it in Berlin in 2015, Barcelona have solely as soon as made it again to the semi-finals of the Champions League. That got here in 2018-19, though the match-up is one the Catalans would reasonably overlook.
In that tie, Barcelona turned a footnote within the story of an unbelievable comeback from title-bound Liverpool, letting a 3-0 first-leg win slip in a 4-0 defeat at Anfield.
The following season, Barcelona had been thumped 8-2 by a Flick-coached Bayern Munich within the quarter finals.
Barcelona didn’t make it again to the quarter finals till 2023-24, when their 3-2 first-leg away win over Paris Saint-Germain lead was overturned in a 4-1 thumping at house.
Off the sphere, Barcelona have endured a seemingly infinite run of monetary scandals, alongside shedding Messi, their greatest ever participant, on a free switch in 2021.
‘We need to proceed’
This season nevertheless, with Messi’s inheritor obvious Lamine Yamal firing alongside Raphina and veteran Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona look again to their greatest, notably towards high opposition.
Besides Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Dortmund, final season’s Champions League finalists, Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Bayern within the group levels confirmed how ruthless Flick’s facet might be.
In two clashes with Real this season, Barcelona received 4-0 and 5-2.
Along with exhibiting there may be life after Messi at Barcelona, this season has been one among vindication for Flick.
Despite piloting Bayern to a six-trophy season together with the Champions League in 2019-20, Flick’s poor stint as Germany boss raised doubts about his skill.
Winning this season’s Champions League ultimate, at Munich’s Allianz Arena no much less, would present the 60-year-old really belongs among the many elite.
On Saturday, a beaming Flick instructed reporters: “We’ve come this far, however we need to proceed on this path.
“I’m completely having fun with having the ability to work with my teaching workers and this group. We’ve received an unbelievable environment within the facet.”
‘Greatest miracle’
The hosts on Wednesday could take inspiration from Liverpool’s comeback 5 years in the past underneath their former coach Jurgen Klopp, however are underneath no illusions in regards to the scale of the duty.
Struggling to struggle again into European rivalry within the Bundesliga, Dortmund’s 2-2 draw at Bayern on Saturday was a welcome response after the drubbing in Barcelona.
Sporting director Lars Ricken stated Saturday “we want the best miracle within the historical past of Borussia Dortmund” to get via to the semi-finals.
Ricken, a neighborhood product who was among the many scorers on the membership’s biggest evening — the 1997 Champions League ultimate win over Juventus — is not any stranger to large European nights in black and yellow.
“We should attempt to win, whether or not that is sufficient to advance, I do not know.”
Calling himself “an optimist however a realist”, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac stated his facet needed to save lots of face on Tuesday.
“But with out a spark, a spark of hope, it would not make sense.
“Our ambition is to win the sport. Is it 1-0, 2-1? We are enjoying at house so we want to give a present to all our supporters.”
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