FC Barcelona have sealed their spot in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years, advancing with a 5-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund, despite suffering a 3-1 defeat at the Signal Iduna Park on a fiery European night.
The Catalan giants, led by Hansi Flick, made the most of their emphatic 4-0 first-leg victory at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc. That cushion proved vital as they endured a spirited comeback effort from Dortmund in front of a raucous home crowd in the return leg.
Guirassy was the star of the night for the German side, scoring a sensational hat-trick to ignite hopes of a famous comeback. But those dreams were dashed when Ramy Bensebaini mistakenly turned the ball into his own net, handing Barcelona a crucial away goal that made all the difference.
The tie ended 5-3 on aggregate, enough for Barcelona to book a place in the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2019, breaking a painful run of six consecutive seasons falling short.
Hansi Flick, who took over the reins at Barça this season, was visibly proud of his side’s resilience. “It wasn’t an easy atmosphere to play in,” he said. “But we came here with a job to finish, and despite the loss, we’ve earned our spot among the top four in Europe.”
Barcelona will now await the outcome of the tantalizing clash between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, with the winner set to face them in the semi-final.
