The Spanish league leaders went into the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie unbeaten, but that run has now been brought to an end.
It was an uncharacteristically shaky Barcelona side that turned out for the first half against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park. The Catalans were much less assured in their passing, subdued in their marking.
At some point early in the second half after Serhou Guirassy had scored his and Dortmund’s second of the night, some fans feared the worst. What seemed at the start of the match like a gargantuan lead was suddenly looking paper thin.
But Barcelona were saved, although – as if to summarise their performance on the night – it wasn’t even by their own hand (or feet).
Barca went into the match on an excellent run of 24 games unbeaten, the fourth longest in their history. That has come to an end now.
What Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said
“We all saw a great game of football, especially from my team. It was high intensity with a lot of forward pressure.
“I’m obviously disappointed that we were knocked out, but we inflicted Barcelona’s first defeat in 2025 and that says a lot. We can be very proud of ourselves.”
What Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said
“We are in the semi-finals. They have a great team and made life very difficult for us, but we’re through to the next round and that’s what counts.
“We didn’t play at our best today but that was also down to Dortmund, who did really well. What the team has achieved in recent weeks is phenomenal. We’re now one step further, but we’re still a long way from the end.”
What next for Barcelona?
The Catalans will be looking to put this episode behind them and carry on. They are still four points clear at the top of La Liga, in the final of the Copa del Rey, and now in the semi-finals of the Champions League after a six-year absence.
Robert Lewandowski said after the game that they can learn from the loss, understand that they cannot afford to give less than 100 per cent in the crucial games.
Flick will be hoping that his side can imbibe that lesson as they approach the business end of the season.
