Barcelona booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals with a 5-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund, despite suffering a 3-1 defeat in the second leg on German soil where Serhou Guirassy produced a stunning hat-trick. Hansi Flick’s side entered the match with a commanding 4-0 advantage from the first leg at home but found themselves in trouble as Dortmund threatened a miraculous comeback in front of their roaring home crowd.
The match kicked off with Dortmund pressing high and fast. In the 11th minute, Guirassy opened the scoring with a bold Panenka penalty after Wojciech Szczesny committed a foul inside the box. Early in the second half, Guirassy doubled the lead by heading home from a corner delivered by Ramy Bensebaini, cutting Barcelona’s aggregate lead to just two goals.
Despite Dortmund’s momentum, Barcelona managed to respond in the 58th minute when Fermin Lopez’s dangerous pass forced an own goal from Bensebaini. This goal gave Barcelona some breathing room, although Guirassy completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a clinical finish following an exciting run by Julian Duranville, reigniting hopes for the home side.
Dortmund thought they had found a fourth goal when Julian Brandt netted late on, but it was ruled offside. In the dying moments, Dortmund continued to press, but Barcelona held on under pressure to reach their first Champions League semifinal under Flick.
Barcelona, aiming for a historic treble just like their memorable 2015 season, await the winner of the Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich tie. Despite their first competitive loss of 2025, they continue to dream big in Europe.
Guirassy’s performance was one for the history books. The 29-year-old Guinean striker now leads the Champions League scoring chart with 13 goals, highlighting his transformation from a journeyman forward to a top-level performer.
Borussia Dortmund, though eliminated, can take pride in a fearless second-leg performance. Coach Niko Kovac had predicted that his team needed a miracle, and for large parts of the game, they came close to achieving it despite missing captain Emre Can due to a pre-match injury.
Flick’s decision to stick with his attacking trio—Lewandowski, Yamal, and Raphinha—paid off as Barcelona maintained just enough threat to prevent Dortmund from running away with the game.
The clash at Westfalenstadion was a reminder of the magic of Champions League football—where history, heartbreak, and heroics come together under the brightest lights.
