DORTMUND, Germany — In a surprising turn of events, Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund achieved a feat no other team could in 2025: they managed to defeat Barcelona. However, despite this victory, Dortmund couldn’t secure a spot in the Champions League semifinals, ending up with a 5-3 loss on aggregate.
Guirassy scored a hat trick during the match, leading Dortmund to a 3-1 win against Barcelona — marking the Spanish club’s first defeat since December. After suffering a heavy loss of 4-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals, Dortmund came out aggressively in the second match, catching Barcelona off guard.
Barcelona’s coach, Hansi Flick, familiar with Dortmund’s strengths from his previous experiences in the German league, acknowledged the challenge posed by the passionate home crowd. “I had a feeling something like this could happen,” Flick said. “Congratulations to Dortmund; they played very well. But I’m proud of my team for reaching the semifinals.”
The match was unusually quiet for Barcelona’s star players, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who have been prolific this season. Their closest attempt to score was a weak shot from Raphinha, saved without trouble by Dortmund’s goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel.
Guirassy’s performance was pivotal, as he continues to rise in prominence. Dortmund’s coach, Niko Kovac, referred to Guirassy as the team’s “life insurance,” highlighting the importance of teamwork in enabling his success. Unfortunately, Dortmund was already at a disadvantage, with injuries sidelining captain Emre Can and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.
In a match filled with drama, Guirassy initially struggled but found his footing, converting a penalty in the 11th minute. He followed up with a header to make it 2-0 early in the second half. However, an own goal from Ramy Bensebaini made the task daunting for Dortmund as they faced rising pressure from Barcelona. Guirassy completed his hat trick later in the match, bringing Dortmund hope for a stunning comeback, though they ultimately fell short.
Barcelona will advance to face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals, marking their first appearance in the last four of the Champions League since the 2018-19 season. In another match, Paris Saint-Germain secured a place in the semifinals with a narrow aggregate win over Aston Villa.
This match not only ended Barcelona’s impressive unbeaten run but also marked their first Champions League defeat since September and the first overall loss under coach Flick in his last 50 games. Dortmund now finds themselves struggling in the Bundesliga, currently sitting in eighth place and needing to leapfrog several teams to reclaim their spot in next year’s Champions League.
Dortmund fans will have to wait a little longer for their team to return to the Champions League spotlight.
