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E-mail Xinhua, April 16, 2025
Serhou Guirassy scored a stunning hat-trick, but Borussia Dortmund was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday night, despite a spirited 3-1 win in the quarterfinal second leg.
Ramy Bensebaini (C) of Borussia Dortmund vies with Fermin Lopez (R) of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal 2nd leg football match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona in Dortmund, Germany, April 15, 2025. (Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/Xinhua)
Trailing 4-0 from the first leg, Dortmund came out with a clear sense of purpose. The breakthrough came early when Guirassy chipped in a Panenka penalty in the 11th minute after Pascal Gross was fouled by Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. It was the striker's 11th goal of the tournament, a new club record for a single Champions League season.
Dortmund continued to press and Guirassy and Gross both went close before the break. The host's physical approach and high pressing made things uncomfortable for Barcelona, although clear-cut chances were few and far between, as the visitors slowed the tempo through possession.
The second half brought renewed drama. Guirassy headed in his second of the night from close range in the 49th minute to give the home side some hope. But the momentum was short-lived just five minutes later when Ramy Bensebaini inadvertently turned a low cross into his own net to halt the comeback.
Nevertheless, Dortmund refused to give up. Substitute Julien Duranville set up Guirassy for his third of the night 20 minutes from time to bring the crowd back to life.
A disallowed goal from Julian Brandt followed, and despite relentless attacking in the final minutes, Dortmund couldn't find the two goals they needed to force extra time.
"We believed from the first minute and you saw that today," said defender Niklas Sule. "I'm incredibly proud of the team."
Barcelona thus advances to the semifinals with a 5-3 aggregate win, while Dortmund bows out to focus on the Bundesliga.
"Full credit to Dortmund, they played very well. A fantastic team, and to be honest, I had a feeling we might lose tonight. The atmosphere here is incredible, the fans really carry the team. Not much went our way today. So, congratulations to Dortmund for the win, but also to my team, we are through to the semifinals, and that's what counts," said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.
