Niko Kovac ahead of the Barcelona match: "We want to show a different face" | OneFootball

After last week's first leg in Spain, BVB must recover from a 4-0 deficit to move into the semi-finals of the competition. "We know the situation and that we didn't play well in the first leg," said BVB coach Niko Kovac. "Tomorrow, of course, we want to show a completely different face and win the game. But we also know that Barcelona have not lost a competitive game this year. That doesn't make things easy."

Whether Emre Can will be there is not yet certain. The captain was given the final training session off "because he has been struggling with muscular problems in the adductor area for weeks. He has played through gritted teeth time and again, and that is something that needs to be highlighted," said Kovac. Nico Schlotterbeck and Marcel Sabitzer are still out. Schlotterbeck was at the training ground on Monday and spent a few minutes with his teammates at the end of the training. "We know he's always behind us and he's pushing us. We feel his support and, of course, that of Marcel Sabitzer," said Felix Nmecha, who has played the last three games after his injury break and is also an option in the second leg. "As a team, we really have to play a perfect match," said the midfielder. "We know it won't be easy, but with our fans, anything is possible. We must have faith. We want to win the game and so we have to throw ourselves into it."

The coach had the following to say on the match on Tuesday evening: "We want to be on it from the very first minute. We also have to do that because we are facing Barcelona." Kovac is optimistic about his side's performances in the Bundesliga, where the Black & Yellows have recently managed two wins and a draw in the big match at Bayern Munich. He said his team had "defended consistently in Munich and had some very good footballing moments in the second half. We can see that we can keep up. I believe that the team are now in a good flow in the Bundesliga. We want to win tomorrow – that is our goal."Christina Reinke