Montjuïc: the secret of Barça to reign in the Champions

FC Barcelona hosts Borussia Dortmund this Wednesday (21:00 CEST) at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, home of the azulgrana team for the last two seasons while the renovation works of Spotify Camp Nou are completed. So far, Barça has played 10 UEFA Champions League matches at Montjuïc with a very positive record, especially this season.

Hansi Flick's team has 4 victories and 1 draw in their 5 home appearances in the top European competition, with a record of 18 goals scored and only 4 conceded. In the 2023-24 season, Barça also achieved 4 victories in 5 home matches, with a total of 13 goals scored and 7 conceded. In total, in 10 matches, the record is very positive, with 8 wins, 1 draw, and only 1 loss.

The goal difference over the two seasons is +20 (31GF, 11GC), making Montjuïc a true European fortress for Barça. The last three seasons at Camp Nou left a bitter taste for the azulgrana fans, with heavy defeats against rivals like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as two consecutive eliminations in the group stage. These ghosts have been left behind at Lluís Companys, where the culés hope to experience a celebration on Wednesday against Dortmund.

Barça's matches at Montjuïc in the Champions 2024-25

This season, just like the previous one, Barça debuted at home with a 'thrashing' against Young Boys (5-0) in the second matchday of the group stage. The next match was crucial for Hansi Flick's team to gain the confidence needed to step up in Europe, thrashing their 'boogeyman' of the last decade, Bayern Munich (4-1).

In matchday 5, the culés added another thrashing against Brest (3-0) and in the eighth and final match, with direct qualification to the round of 16 secured, the azulgrana team drew against Atalanta (2-2). In the round of 16, against Benfica, Barça again asserted their authority (3-1), sealing their qualification after a narrow victory in Lisbon.

1. October 1, 2024: FC Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys. Matchday 2 of the group stage.
2. October 23, 2024: FC Barcelona 4-1 Bayern Munich. Matchday 3 of the group stage.
3. November 26, 2024: FC Barcelona 3-0 Stade Brest. Matchday 5 of the group stage.
4. January 29, 2025: FC Barcelona 2-2 Atalanta. Matchday 8 of the group stage.
5. March 11, 2025: FC Barcelona 3-1 Benfica. Return leg of the round of 16.

Barça's matches at Montjuïc in the Champions 2023-24

Last season, still with the group stage format, Barça played the first match against Royal Antwerp (5-0), achieving a 'thrashing' against the Belgians. Then, in matchdays 3 and 5, they hosted Shakhtar and Porto, two rivals that complicated things more than expected for Xavi Hernández's team, but they left with defeats of 2-1.

The Catalans finished as leaders in their group and, in the round of 16, closed the tie against Napoli at home with a convincing 3-1, after a draw in the first leg in Italy (1-1). In the quarter-finals, the azulgrana team did the job with a golden victory in Paris (2-3), but PSG turned the tie around with a painful thrashing at Montjuïc (1-4), in a match affected by the expulsion of Ronald Araujo.

1. September 19, 2023: FC Barcelona 5-0 Royal Antwerp. Matchday 1 of the group stage.
2. October 25, 2023: FC Barcelona 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk. Matchday 3 of the group stage.
3. November 28, 2023: FC Barcelona 2-1 Porto. Matchday 5 of the group stage.
4. March 12, 2024: FC Barcelona 3-1 Napoli. Return leg of the round of 16.
5. April 16, 2024: FC Barcelona 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain. Return leg of the round of 16.