UCL: Kovac hoping for miracle against Barcelona in quarter-final second leg

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac says there is room for a miracle as his team faces the herculean task of reversing their deficit to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Afrosport reports.

The German giants lost the first leg in the Catalan capital 4-0 and will need win by five goals or more to progress the semi-finals.

Kovac is taking inspiration from the 2018-19 semi-final when Liverpool reversed a 3-0 first leg loss against Barcelona to win the return leg 4-0, ultimately going on to win the title by defeating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.

“Of course I remember that game. It was great. But that happened back then, and we are in 2025 right now,” the Croatian said.

“We know our situation. We know we didn’t play well in the first leg, and we lost 4-0. But we want to show a different face. We want to win the game. We can’t say how many goals we will score. We can’t predict that. But we want to show a different game. There is always room for miracles. But we know that Barcelona, this calendar year in 2025, have not lost a game across any competition, and that doesn’t help us.”

Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick says the fans will be difficult despite their big lead.

“I am very happy that we’ve won 4-0 in the first leg. Because I know that the game will be very difficult,” he said.

“That’s what we’ve prepared for. The team has to show how good we are. They must enjoy being on the pitch. Facing the best teams in Europe. That is our wish.

“We don’t want to play any game in a light way. We feel ready. And we want to give our fans a good game to watch. They’ve travelled with us and always support us.”