Barca qualify despite scare against Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund 3 - 1 Barcelona (Barcelona won 5-3 on aggregate)
Borussia Dortmund came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable Champions League comeback, but their spirited second-leg display against Barcelona was not enough to overturn the heavy damage inflicted in the first leg.
The Bundesliga side had been left with a mountain to climb following a chastening 4–0 defeat at the Camp Nou, a result that had all but booked Barcelona’s place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
Yet Dortmund refused to roll over. Led by a stunning hat-trick from Serhou Guirassy, they produced a breathless display in front of their home crowd, injecting genuine jeopardy into what had seemed a foregone conclusion.
What does all of this mean for Barca?
Despite their valiant efforts and a stirring performance, it is Barcelona who advance to the last four. It marks their first appearance at this stage since their infamous capitulation to Liverpool at Anfield six years ago.
For all their faults in this match, their hunt of a Treble remains very much on. It could prove to be a trophy filled campaign for the La Liga leaders.
In the Champions League, they will meet either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich, with Inter holding a slender 2–1 advantage ahead of Wednesday’s return leg at San Siro.
What a difference a week makes. Dortmund looked a completely different side.
Former Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross, back in the side after serving a suspension in the first leg, proved instrumental for Dortmund throughout. He had the ball in the net five minutes later, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Ramy Bensebaini and the energetic Karim Adeyemi also came close, each drawing impressive saves from Wojciech Szczesny as the home side piled on the pressure before half-time.
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Dortmund carried that momentum into the second half and continued to trouble Barcelona. The improbable comeback edged closer when Guirassy nodded home from close range, capitalising on Bensebaini’s smart header back across goal from a deep corner.
Did you watch it?
Ajay watched the match as a neutral and said: "You always sensed that being four goals down was going to be too much of a mountain to climb for Dortmund. However, they managed to make a game of it. Things would have been very interesting if they'd managed a goal in Barcelona."
This was a view supported by Peter Grainger who added: "Incredible night of Champions League football. Felt for Dortmund but this Barca side looks almost destined for the title again."
