Barcelona Reach Semi-Finals Despite 3-1 Loss to Dortmund | UEFA Champions League 2025

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Barcelona secured a spot in the Champions League semi-finals despite suffering a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, advancing with a 5-3 aggregate score. Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy netted a hat-trick, but a crucial own goal by Ramy Bensebaini proved to be the difference-maker, allowing Barcelona to hold on to their first-leg advantage. The thrilling match saw Dortmund's hopes of a comeback dashed, as they could not surpass Barcelona’s dominant performance in the first leg. Barcelona now prepares to face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the next round.

Although Borussia Dortmund put up a strong fight in the return leg, they fell short of overcoming Barcelona’s advantage. Having secured a commanding 4-0 win in the first leg, Barcelona appeared set to make it to the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.

Dortmund’s early pressure paid off when Guirassy converted a penalty in the 11th minute, following a foul by Wojciech Szczesny on Pascal Gross. The second half saw Guirassy score again, bringing Dortmund closer with a goal in the 49th minute, and cutting Barcelona's aggregate lead in half. However, a pivotal moment came just five minutes later when Bensebaini inadvertently sent the ball into his own net in the 54th minute, restoring Barcelona's lead. Guirassy completed his hat-trick with a header in the 76th minute, but despite a late surge, including a ruled-offside goal from Julian Brandt, Dortmund could not manage to overcome Barcelona.

This result marked Barcelona’s first semi-final appearance since their infamous 2019 comeback loss to Liverpool. Their next opponents will be either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich, with Inter holding a 2-1 advantage going into their second leg. Dortmund, despite a valiant effort, could not recover from the devastating 4-0 loss in the first leg. Manager Niko Kovac admitted that a "miracle" was needed to overturn the deficit. The penalty by Guirassy ignited hope for the hosts, while Gross, returning from suspension, had a goal ruled out for offside. Bensebaini and Karim Adeyemi both tested Szczesny, and Guirassy’s second goal, a powerful header, added more fuel to the comeback dreams. However, the game-changing own goal by Bensebaini was a fatal blow for Dortmund.

Dortmund dominated possession with 46.4% against Barcelona's 53.6%, and they registered a higher xG of 3.85 compared to Barcelona’s 0.49. Dortmund also had more shots—18, with 11 on target, while Barcelona only managed 7 shots, 2 of which were on target. Dortmund, desperate to reverse the 4-0 first-leg result, came out aggressively, keeping Barcelona on the defensive. However, their offensive drive proved futile as the final whistle confirmed their exit from the competition. With five games left in the league, Dortmund is in eighth place, six points behind the Champions League spots.