Borussia Dortmund couldn’t overturn the damage from their first-leg demolition by Barcelona, bowing out of the Champions League despite a spirited second-leg victory inspired by a Serhou Guirassy hat-trick.
The Catalan giants had one foot in the semi-finals after their emphatic 4-0 win at the Camp Nou, all but sealing their first last-four appearance since 2019. But Dortmund came agonisingly close to a stunning turnaround in a pulsating return leg at Signal Iduna Park.
Guirassy gave the hosts hope early on, cheekily dinking a ‘Panenka’ penalty past Wojciech Szczesny in the 11th minute after the Polish keeper had brought down Pascal Gross. The Guinea striker doubled his tally four minutes after half-time, halving the aggregate deficit and sending belief rippling through the stands.
But Dortmund’s momentum was abruptly checked when Ramy Bensebaini sliced into his own net five minutes later, restoring Barca’s three-goal cushion.
Dortmund refused to fold, creating a flurry of chances, including a Gross goal ruled out for offside, before Guirassy completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, hammering a poor clearance into the roof of the net.
Substitute Julian Brandt thought he had forced extra time with a cool finish past Szczesny, only to see his celebrations cut short by the offside flag.
Despite a fabulous fightback, Dortmund’s first-leg deficit proved too steep. Barcelona held firm to book their place in the semi-finals — a stage they hadn’t reached since their infamous collapse at Anfield six years ago against Liverpool.
Xavi’s side will now face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich, with Inter holding a 2-1 advantage heading into the second leg at San Siro.
A Brave Battle, But Barca’s Treble Dreams Stay Alive
Dortmund boss Niko Kovac had called for a “miracle” before kick-off, knowing full well the scale of the task. Only Barcelona themselves had ever recovered from a four-goal first-leg deficit in Champions League history, when they famously overturned PSG in 2017.
Guirassy’s bold early penalty injected belief into the crowd, and Pascal Gross — back in the lineup after missing the first leg through suspension — was a constant creative threat, having a goal chalked off for offside just minutes later. Bensebaini and Karim Adeyemi also forced strong saves from Szczesny before half-time.
Dortmund’s dream flickered back to life early in the second half when Guirassy nodded home after Bensebaini’s header recycled a deep corner, but just five minutes later the tie tilted back toward Barcelona as Bensebaini accidentally turned Fermin Lopez’s cross into his own net.
Even as time ticked away, Dortmund pressed on, and Guirassy completed his hat-trick — his 13th Champions League goal of the season — setting up a tense final stretch. Brandt’s late strike was ruled out for offside, ending Dortmund’s hopes of a famous night.
Kovac will take heart from the performance — Dortmund’s first win over Barcelona in seven meetings and a match where they kept Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski off the scoresheet.
Now eighth in the Bundesliga, six points adrift of the Champions League places with five games left, Dortmund’s focus shifts to salvaging their domestic season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s pursuit of a historic Treble continues. They sit four points clear atop La Liga and are set for a Copa del Rey final showdown against Real Madrid at the end of the month.
