Dortmund : Barcelona secured their place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals despite suffering a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their quarterfinal clash. The Catalan giants advanced with a 5-3 aggregate victory, marking their first semifinal appearance in six years.
Borussia Dortmund, determined to overturn their 4-0 first-leg deficit, came out firing. Serhou Guirassy led the charge, scoring a hat-trick to give the hosts hope. His first goal came in the 11th minute via a chipped penalty, followed by a powerful header early in the second half. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error.
Despite Dortmund’s relentless attack, Barcelona managed to hold their ground. A 54th-minute own goal by Ramy Bensebaini, pressured by Robert Lewandowski, helped settle the visitors’ nerves. Barcelona struggled with finishing, with Jules Kounde missing a crucial chance in the 40th minute.
Dortmund needed two more goals to force extra time but gradually ran out of steam. Their attempt to match Barcelona’s famous 2017 comeback against PSG—where Barca overturned a four-goal deficit—ultimately fell short.
Barcelona will face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals, with the two teams set to clash on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Dortmund exit the tournament despite a valiant effort, with Guirassy becoming the first Dortmund player to score 13 goals in a single UCL campaign
