Pre-Match Report
Final training session in Dortmund – BVB prepare for clash with Barcelona
Niklas Süle was the first outfield player to step onto the training pitch. The central defender had been forced to sit out the away game in Freiburg with a haematoma, but he joined his team-mates on the pitch for the final training session. BVB coach Niko Kovac will have to do without Nico Schlotterbeck and Marcel Sabitzer (both knee injuries).
After two Bundesliga wins on the bounce, BVB will now be looking to carry that momentum into the UEFA Champions League. Before a ball is kicked in Spain on Wednesday evening, the players held their final training session in Dortmund. The session, which was held in temperatures of 12 degrees and sunshine and was open to the media for 15 minutes, kicked off with a speech by Niko Kovac and a warm-up programme. That was followed by passing exercises for the Champions League match, before some fine-tuning work was subsequently carried out behind closed doors.
The BVB contingent will depart Dortmund Airport for Barcelona in the afternoon. Directly upon arrival, Niko Kovac and Waldemar Anton will head to the press conference at the Olympic Stadium (live on BVB TV from 19:00 CEST). (cr)