Dortmund vs Barcelona LIVE SCORE, UCL: BVB 0-0 FCB, Yamal’s shot saved, UEFA Champions League updates

Despite Sabitzer and Guirassy coming close to scoring for the hosts and Yamal and Raphinha forcing saves on the other end, the scoreline remains 0-0 at half-time in this Champions League clash.

Sabitzer gets into an altercation shortly after Guirassy goes down in the box appealing for a penalty and the Austrian gets into the book for a rather rash challenge. The referee has a chat with the VAR about the foul to Guirassy and concludes that there is not enough contact for a spot-kick.

Reyna receives the ball in the box and sets up Guirassy on the far post, whose header is saved magnificently by Pena. That would have been some goal but replay shows the Guinean was slightly off the line and the referee rightly raises the off-side flag. 

Kounde tries his luck from distance this time and shoots on target. But Kobel has been top notch so far tonight and stops the shot with equal quality.

Though Barca hover around the box after the corner was taken but Ryerson helps the hosts clear their lines.

Cubarsi gets the ball to Yamal, who combines with Kounde in the opposition box. After a brilliant interlinking play between Kounde and Yamal, the ball goes out of play for a corner kick.

Dortmund tries attack with quick passes as Reina gets a cross from his right and his shot goes out of play after a deflection off Barca’s defence. He appeals for a corner but the referee raises the off-side flag instead: Guirassy was ahead of the line when the pass was made.

Dortmund gets another glimmer of hope when Nmecha carries the ball all the way from half-way line to the final third, but his pass to Gittens ends to nothing and the German looks frustrated.

Duranville gets the ball on the right and tries to cut back but his lack of experience is eventually exposed as Barca steals the ball off him. The player has shown some serious promise at 18 and could be a future star, like another star in the opposite, Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona tries to pass sideways, looking for gaps in the yellow wall and tries a through ball, which goes out of play for a goal-kick to Dortmund.

Yamal tries to set an attack up along the right flank, which when cleared has him shifting to his left and shooting on target. However, Kobel meets it with equal quality to deny the opening goal of the match.

Duranville makes a brilliant run along the right flank, beats his marker and crosses for Sabitzer in the centre, whose header flies off-target to the dismay of Sahin and thousands of Dortmund fans in the stadium.

In the first 15 minutes, it is no surprise that Barca has enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, over 60 per cent and it looking to mount more men up the pitch, looking for a breakthrough as soon as possible.

Barcelona attacks with a smooth switch of play and Yamal carries the ball into the final third, along the right flank. He crosses for Raphinha, who was rushing in and the Brazilian meets it. However, the shot is off-target.

Barcelona almost goes for another counterattack as Olmo tries a long ball for an onrushing Raphinha but Can comes to Dortmund’s rescue, clearing the ball to safety.

Barcelona is back enjoying fare bit of possession and continues to draw the opponent out of its own half to force a counterattack. Barca eventually go for an attack and Casado tries a hit from outside the box, which lands safely into the gloves of Kobel.

Sabitzer gets the ball in the penalty box and turns to take a shot, which is initiatlly saved by Pena in a one-on-one situation and then the ball ricochets out of play. The referee eventually raises the flag for an off-side in the build-up.

Bensebaini hesitates to clear the ball and Yamal almost latches onto it as the ball goes out of play for a goal-kick.

Barcelona tries a training-ground routine, with Raphinha setting up Yamal, whose shot from outside the box flies over the net.

Yamal is fouled at the mid-field line as Kounde takes the free-kick quickly and Olmo gets the ball into the final, whose cross is kicked out by Ryerson for a corner.

Barcelona dances through with low passes, as Raphinha combines with Balde on his left. The final low cross almost lands in an empty zone in front of goal but Lewandowski can’t reach it in time.

Within a minute, Barcelona is pressed high up the pitch and concedes a corner, which is eventually headed off target and the score remains goalless.

The Champions League match begins in Dortmund, with Raphinha getting the ball rolling amid raucous cheers from the home side. The visitors start from right to left while Dortmund starts from the other end.

Lewandowski, who spent four years, at Dortmund, will look to bury his love for his former side, as he leads the attack for his current side in Germany, this time around.

The pre-match pleasantries are exchanged, with Flick meeting a happy Nuri Sahin, with both having quite some experience in Germany. The UCL anthem blares from the loudspeakers as the players soak in the pressure.

The warm-ups are done, the crowd is ready. The players queue up in the tunnel to take the pitch for the game and we are almost underway in this high-voltage clash.

Robert Lewandowski will have a battle in his head here, going against his former side -- one that set the stage for stardom for the Polish captain before he moved to Bayern Munich. On the other hand is Barcelona, with whom he has been in flying form this season.

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On Saturday, Barca put in an unconvincing display in a 2-2 La Liga draw at Real Betis, which left it vulnerable to being overtaken by rival Real Madrid in the title race.

The draw was not the ideal result ahead of a vital clash against Champions League regular Dortmund, but Flick said it was natural for teams to have a slump in form during the season.

Read the full preview below:

Champions League 2024-25: Barcelona must learn from league stumbles, Flick says ahead of Dortmund meeting

Barcelona can learn from the setbacks it has faced in its La Liga campaign and continue to improve, manager Hansi Flick said ahead of its Champions League meeting with Borussia Dortmund.