Barcelona have held on against a Serhou Guirassy-inspired Borussia Dortmund to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, despite losing 3-1 at the Westfalenstadion this evening.
Hansi Flick's side led 4-0 from the first leg last week, but were quickly under pressure when Guirassy converted an early penalty, before Pascal Gross had a goal disallowed for offside.
Guirassy then pulled another goal back early in the second half, but Dortmund dreams were dashed soon after when Ramy Bensebaini put through his own net from Fermin Lopez's dangerous delivery.
There was still time for Guirassy to complete his hat-trick, but it was too little too late, as Barca progress 5-3 on aggregate, despite seeing their 24-game unbeaten run come to an end.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Iconsport
With Paris Saint-Germain also struggling tonight away to Aston Villa, the two will still be the red-hot favourites to win the competition, but Dortmund have exposed Barcelona's limitations tonight.
Barca's clinical front three were stifled for most of the evening, as a raucous home support suffocated the visitors, and allowed Dortmund to get back into a tie that looked beyond them.
There was plenty of fortune about Barca's solitary goal of the evening too, coming via an unfortunate own goal, but Flick's side have still shown enough this season to suggest this was just an off-night.
It will be Barca's first semi-final in the competition since 2019, but Flick will hope seeing their lengthy unbeaten run coming to an end will not affect their pursuit of an extraordinary treble.
DORTMUND VS. BARCELONA HIGHLIGHTS
Guirassy pen vs. Barcelona (11th min, Dortmund 1-0 Barcelona)
GUIRASSY 🥶
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2025
The big striker puts Dortmund ahead from the spot with the coolest of penalties after Szczęsny took out Groß in the area... 1-0 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MDCBQHAgKa
It is the perfect start for Dortmund, whose early pressure has paid off, with Gross drawing a foul from Wojciech Szczesny in the area, before Guirassy steps up and confidently dinks it down the middle to put BVB on the board in the tie.
Guirassy goal vs. Barcelona (49th min, Dortmund 2-0 Barcelona)
TWO FOR DORTMUND, TWO FOR GUIRASSY 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2025
There's still life in Dortmund! Guirassy heads in at the back post from the corner to make it 2-0 on the night, 4-2 now on aggregate 👀
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/S1kPCyRhGP
The Yellow Wall is rocking at the Westfalenstadion! A deep, in-swinging corner is met by Bensebaini, who knocks it back into the six-yard area where Guirassy is waiting to nod home from close range, giving the hosts real hope now of the unthinkable!
Bensebaini own goal vs. Dortmund (54th min, Dortmund 2-1 Barcelona)
Pain for Dortmund 💔
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2025
Fermin Lopez does fantastically down the right for Barcelona, and his cross is turned into his own net by Bensebaini 😫
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/XqcsfSBEWx
What a nerve-settler that is for the Catalans! Fermin drives down the right wing and his dangerous cross is diverted into his own net by Bensebaini in a cruel twist of fate for the home side.
Guirassy goal vs. Barcelona (76th min, Dortmund 3-1 Barcelona)
HAT-TRICK FOR GUIRASSY ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 15, 2025
There's still time for Dortmund 👀 Guirassy gets his, and Dortmund's, 3rd after great skill and work down the right by Duranville 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/eSENFZ0nkG
Is there still hope for Dortmund? Great work from Julien Duranville down the right forces Ronald Araujo into a big error that puts an opportunity on a plate for Guirassy to complete his hat trick. The hosts have just 15 minutes to spark an astonishing comeback.
MAN OF THE MATCH - SERHOU GUIRASSY
© Imago
The Guinean has been Dortmund's player of the season, and he has shown everyone why tonight with an excellent hat trick that was unfortunately in vain for the hosts.
A confident and cheeky penalty got the ball rolling, before he was in the right place at the right time to nod home Dortmund's second, and just when it seemed the tie was beyond them, he gave them fresh life by completing his hat trick with 15 minutes remaining, but Guirassy sadly ends up on the losing side.
DORTMUND VS. BARCELONA MATCH STATS
Possession: Dortmund 46%-54% Barcelona
Shots: Dortmund 18-7 Barcelona
Shots on target: Dortmund 11-2 Barcelona
Corners: Dortmund 8-4 Barcelona
Fouls: Dortmund 14-11 Barcelona
BEST STATS
5 - No team from the top five European leagues has benefited from more own goals than FC Barcelona this season in all competitions (Como also five). Percussion. pic.twitter.com/9IEzVWwrYW
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 15, 2025
5 - Serhou Guirassy is the first African player to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Champions League, and the player with the most goals scored against Barcelona in a single edition of the competition (five in 2024/25). Stellar. pic.twitter.com/vtVsDoGwyf
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 15, 2025
12 - Serhou Guirassy is the first African player to score 12 goals in a single UCL campaign. Guinea. @Guirassy_19 @BlackYellow https://t.co/xR4PSNJ6oB
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 15, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Dortmund will look to ensure they return to the Champions League via the league route with some positive results in their final five games of the season, starting with a home clash against Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday, while Barca continue their hunt for the La Liga title at home to Celta Vigo.
Andrew Delaney
