Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund did what no else has been ready to in 2025 — they beat Barcelona. It nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to attain the Champions League semifinals.
Guirassy scored a hat trick and nonetheless ended up on the dropping facet as Dortmund’s 3-1 win over Barcelona — the Spanish membership’s first defeat of any type since December — wasn’t sufficient to forestall a 5-3 combination loss.
After being swept apart 4-0 in the primary leg of the quarterfinal, Dortmund had nothing to lose Tuesday and attacked Barcelona from the beginning, leaving the guests off-balance.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who has loads of expertise of dealing with — and beating — Dortmund from his time in the German league, stated the passionate residence crowd meant he’d anticipated a tricky second leg regardless of his crew’s four-goal lead.
“I had a little bit of a feeling that something like this was coming,” Flick advised broadcaster Amazon Prime. “Today you have to say congratulations to Dortmund, they played a very good game, and congratulations to my team, they’re in the semifinals.” It was an unusually quiet sport for Barcelona’s prolific forwards Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who had 12 and 11 Champions League targets respectively this season. The closest both got here to scoring was a tame shot by Raphinha at Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Guirassy’s sport
Guirassy is Dortmund’s “life insurance,” coach Niko Kovac stated after a sport that continued his fast rise to fame and left him high of the Champions League scoring lists this season. “Serhou just needs the support of his teammates, like every striker does, and he got that today.” Dortmund had arguably misplaced the quarterfinal in the primary leg, and in addition had captain Emre Can and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka dominated out with accidents earlier in the day.
For some time, Guirassy made the unattainable appear potential.
Guirassy had missed possibilities in the primary leg and spurned a pair extra early in Tuesday’s sport however made no mistake from the penalty spot in the eleventh minute after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny collided with Pascal Gross.
Guirassy’s header made it 2-0 in the forty ninth minute earlier than an personal purpose by Ramy Bensebaini made Dortmund’s activity even more durable. Fermín López’s low cross that in off Bensebaini’s ankle — a double disappointment for Dortmund as a result of the defender been essential in the comeback try, aiding Guirassy’s second purpose shortly earlier than.
Guirassy seized on Ronald Araujo’s defensive error to full his hat trick with a strong close-range shot in the 76th, in the method turning into the Champions League’s high scorer this season on 13 targets.
It gave Dortmund contemporary hope of finishing what would have been one of many all-time nice Champions League comebacks — one to rival Barcelona’s towards Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 — however Barcelona held on to progress.
Streaks damaged
Barcelona faces both Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals, the primary time it is reached the final 4 of the Champions League for the reason that 2018-19 season. In Tuesday’s different sport, PSG reached the semifinals with a 5-4 combination win over Aston Villa regardless of dropping the second leg 3-2.
As properly as being Barcelona’s first loss in all competitions since a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Dec. 21, it was Barcelona’s first Champions League loss since September, and solely the seventh loss in Flick’s 50 video games in cost. The German coach had received all seven of his earlier video games towards Dortmund in cost of Barcelona and Bayern.
Dortmund could have to wait some time till the Champions League anthem performs at its stadium once more.
Last 12 months’s Champions League runner-up is eighth in the Bundesliga with 5 video games remaining, and 6 factors off the 4 Champions League qualifying locations.
Published – April 16, 2025 10:16 am IST
