Three talking points from Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Barcelona | OneFootball

Serhou Guirassy scored a hat-trick for Borussia Dortmund in their 3-1 win over Barcelona last night at Signal Iduna Park.

However, it was still not enough for the German outfit to overcome the deficit they started and the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie ended 5-3 in favour of Barcelona on aggregate.

The Catalans did not bring their A-game on the night and were largely dominated. Surprisingly, they created an xG of just 0.49 compared to Dortmund’s 3.85.

Considering that the hosts had five big chances to Barcelona’s zero, Hansi Flick’s men were lucky to get away with the win although it is true they were complacent only because of the lead.

Regardless of the scoreline, Barcelona are now in the semifinal of the prestigious competition and had a productive night with Pedri and Lamine Yamal getting some rest in the hectic schedule.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Barcelona.

First defeat of 2025

Barcelona have set the standards too high for themselves this season, more so given their spectacular run in 2025. Entering the second leg unbeaten all year, there was a serious expectation that the Blaugrana would push for another win.

In an ideal scenario, that should have been the case but Barcelona simply could not put their best foot forward last night and overcomplicated matters in a game that was already won.

Gifting Borussia Dortmund a 2-0 lead early in the second half and then giving away a third goal late in the game ensured that the Catalans did not have much peace of mind last night.

In the end, they never really pushed for an equaliser and ended up losing their first game in 2025. A lot will surely be read into the result last night, and some extreme reactions have already begun dropping Barcelona on the list of UCL favourites.

We must, however, remind ourselves that this Azulgrana side has been stretched to the limit this year with games every 72 hours. A 4-0 cushion is the closest they have to rest and one cannot blame them for switching off.

Fatigue is catching up with all of Europe’s top teams, and even PSG stunningly lost to Aston Villa last night in the other quarterfinal.

It is thus important that only as much importance be given to the defeat as it warrants, for Barcelona have always managed to step up when they need to.

Last night was an off-performance, but it would rather come voluntarily in a game pre-decided than a sporadic critical game later on.

Pedri is the truth

The key man for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund began the game strong last night, much as expected, and put pressure on Barcelona from the first minute.

It was clear throughout the game as to which side was forced to push and which team preferred to sit back, but the key difference compared to the game last week was that Barcelona lacked control in the middle of the field.

Last night’s game, in many ways, is a testament to the fact that Pedri is Barcelona’s single most important player in Hansi Flick’s system.

With the Spaniard rested by the manager at Signal Iduna Park, Flick’s men simply struggled to hold onto the ball, impose themselves or even hit on transitions given Dortmund’s resilience.

Frenkie de Jong and Gavi who both started on the night put up good performances, but neither had the extra-terrestrial ability that Pedri has.

It is thus no surprise that Barcelona’s control over the game returned seconds after the talisman’s introduction.

The manager brought Canary Islander on close to the hour mark and Barcelona immediately became close to immune to Dortmund’s press and began to dominate the possession.

The Blaugrana suddenly looked a whole lot more comfortable on the ball and Pedri began dictating the flow of the game.

It is clear that the team’s entire buildup flows through the youngster, and his introduction helped Barcelona ease the nerves and hold on to the lead.

Onto the semifinals!

While the scoreline last night does reflect a defeat for Barcelona, it is the Catalan team who were the real winners as they beat Dortmund 5-3 on aggregate to advance to the next round.

After the horrors of recent years and the collapses the team has seen especially in the quarterfinal stage, the result last night is simply monumental for a team that is just beginning to impose itself on world football again.

Barcelona are now through to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, something they have not done since Lionel Messi dragged them to a final-four clash against Liverpool in 2018-19.

They will now face either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the semifinal which will be played at the end of this month and they will hope it is the German outfit given the Nerazzurri’s deep defensive style which will be difficult to break down.

Regardless of the result in the next stage of the competition, a semifinal berth in the UCL in itself is a testament to how much progress Barcelona have made under Flick this season.

Before the campaign began, the current achievement would have appeared unthinkable but the Blaugrana have been relatively unfazed until this point.

After six years, Barcelona will now play for a place in the final of the European competition and all that remains now is to know the opponent they will face in the two-legged tie.