Barcelona Edges Past Dortmund in Thrilling Encounter to Advance to UCL Semifinals After Six Years

 Barcelona Edges Past Dortmund in Thrilling Encounter to Advance to UCL Semifinals After Six Years

Barcelona Edges Past Dortmund in Thrilling Encounter to Advance to UCL Semifinals After Six Years

Despite suffering a 3-1 loss at Signal Iduna Park, Barcelona has advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals, achieving a 5-3 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund. The Spanish club, which last claimed a European title a decade ago, returns to the Champions League's final four for the first time since 2019.

In the second leg of the quarterfinal matchup, Dortmund started with high energy and determination. Just 11 minutes into the match, Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny fouled an opponent in the box. Guirassy went on to complete a hat-trick, consistently threatening a vulnerable Barcelona defense.

Although Dortmund outperformed Barcelona in terms of statistics, registering 18 shots (11 on target) compared to Barcelona's 7 attempts (only 2 on target), it was Barcelona's significant first-leg victory (4-0 at Camp Nou) that ultimately secured their progression. Even as Dortmund pressed hard, narrowing the aggregate score to 4-2 with Guirassy's second goal in the 49th minute, a stroke of luck allowed Barcelona to regain some breathing space. Just four minutes later, a botched clearance by Ramy Bensebaini resulted in an own goal, restoring Barcelona's three-goal advantage on aggregate.

Guirassy completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute following a significant mistake by Ronald Araújo, which brought the aggregate score to 5-3. Dortmund persisted in their efforts, even managing to score again through Julian Brandt, but the goal was disallowed due to offside.

Although Barcelona lost the match 3-1, ending their impressive 24-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, they celebrated at the final whistle, having secured their advancement. They now await the outcome of the Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan match to determine their semifinal opponent.

The aspiration for another European title remains alive for the Catalan club, and their supporters will hope this marks the start of a new era of success.