"On the mission" - Barcelona star Lamine Yamal sends message on social media ahead of Borussia Dortmund Champions League clash 

Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal has shared a message on social media ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (April 9). The Catalan club have already won the Supercopa de España this season and will be keen on making huge strides to the final of this edition of Europe’s premier football club competition.

Ahead of the crunch tie, Lamine Yamal changed his Instagram profile picture, which read (via Barca Universal's X handle):

"Off the radar, on the mission."

Yamal has continued to be a key player for La Blaugrana, dishing out impressive performances week in and week out. As a sign of his key contributions to the Catalan club this season, he currently leads the assists chart in LaLiga — 12.

The La Masia graduate has scored three goals and has the same number of assists in the UCL this season. He will be keen to increase his tally when they take on Die Schwarzgelben.

Wednesday’s clash will be the second time that Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund will face off in the UEFA Champions League this season. The two sides previously met in the league phase of the competition in December, with the Spanish giants securing a 3-2 victory.

Should Hansi Flick's men get past Dortmund in the last eight, they will face either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the semifinals.

“The absolute top’’ – Niko Kovac hails Barcelona’s attack ahead of Champions League clash

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac heaped praise on Barcelona’s attack ahead of their Champions League clash with the Catalan club. Kovac, who became Dortmund’s new manager in February, described Barca’s attack as 'NonPlusUltra,' which means 'The ultimate' when translated to English.

Prior to becoming Barcelona and Dortmund managers, Flick and Kovac had worked together at Bayern Munich. In a recent interview with Sky Germany, Kovac opined that Barca’s attacking play is the best in the world at the moment. Kovac said (via Barca Universal):

“The current Barça, in terms of attack, is NonPlusUltra – the absolute top. It makes things very, very difficult.’’

The Dortmund boss further expressed delight about meeting Flick again.

“I’m happy to see Hansi again. We met at Salzburg, and later at Bayern, where Toni Tapalovic was also an assistant," he added.

Kovac also touched on the depth of his relationship with the Flick, saying:

“It’s more than just sending birthday wishes. We talk often, exchange ideas. I’m happy when I see others succeed. That’s how it should be.”