Barcelona are through to the Champions League semi-finals after surviving a major scare in Germany, where Borussia Dortmund beat them 3-1 in the second leg of their quarter-final clash. Despite the loss, the Spanish side advanced with a 5-3 win on aggregate, thanks to their dominant first-leg performance at home.
Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy delivered a sensational performance, scoring all three of his team’s goals and pushing the match to the brink of a dramatic comeback. The Guinean forward opened the scoring early with a cheeky Panenka penalty and added a second just after halftime, heading home from a corner delivered by Ramy Bensebaini.
Barcelona, who had won the first leg 4-0 at the Olympic Stadium, were shaken by Dortmund’s fast start and the roaring crowd of over 80,000 at the Westfalenstadion. The hosts came close to scoring more in the first half, as Guirassy and strike partner Maximilian Beier created constant problems for the Catalan defense.
Despite being under pressure, Barcelona managed to regain a foothold just past the hour mark. Fermin Lopez, who had been one of the standout players in the tie, sent in a dangerous ball after a partial clearance that was deflected into the net by Bensebaini for an own goal. That gave Barcelona the cushion they needed, though the job was far from done.
Guirassy reignited the contest in the 76th minute with his third of the night, blasting in from close range after a clever run from teenager Julian Duranville. The crowd erupted again when Julian Brandt seemed to have added a fourth, but his goal was ruled out for offside, much to the relief of the visiting side.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had promised to play aggressively despite the first-leg advantage, and he stuck to his word by fielding star forwards Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha from the start. That strategy looked risky in parts of the match as Dortmund launched wave after wave of attacks, especially in the final 15 minutes.
Guirassy’s efforts, though not enough to send Dortmund through, were widely praised. The 29-year-old now leads the Champions League scoring charts this season with 13 goals, a remarkable feat for a player who has spent much of his career in mid-level clubs in France and Germany.
