Borussia Dortmund, who lost 4-0 in the first game of the Champions League quarter-final clash against Spain’s Barcelona, tried very hard to create a historic comeback victory at Signal Iduna Park.
The hero on the Bundesliga side was Serho Guilassi. He found the opposition net three times from the spot on the 49th to the 76th, 11 minutes from the spot, but his team’s hopes were significantly doomed on the 54th, when Ramie Benseverini placed the ball on his own net.
team
Dortmund manager Nico Kobak had to choose his team to try this difficult tie without relying on Nico Schlotterbeck, Kearney Chukwemeka, Marcel Savitzer and Emre Can.
Gregor Kobel came in the goal, with Niklas Soule trio Waldemar Anton and Benseverini forming the backline. Felix Nmeka and Pascal Gross were paired in the middle of the park, with wingbacks Daniel Svenson and Jan Koot lined up, but before Guilassi was supported by Maximilian Beyer and Karim Adeemi.
Flick.
With Wojciech Szczesny in the goal, centre backs Pau Cubarsi and Ronald Araujo were adjacent to Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin. Gavi joined Frenkie de John in the middle of the park, with the trio of Rafinha, Fermin Lopez and Ramin Yamal performing behind former Dortmund hitman Robert Lewandowski.
Match Summary
Few people gave Dortmund a shot that stopped coming back for years, but the traffic light Iduna Park Faithful had other ideas, creating a lightning atmosphere that caused waves of early pressure from the hosts. That energy was rewarded within 11 minutes as Pascal Gross was clumsy defeated by Wojciech Szczesny of the region, and Guirassy was punished by Coolly Home.
Gross returned from the suspension and thought he doubled Dortmund’s lead with a refreshing finish just minutes later, but thought he would only be rejected by the offside flag. Barcelona managed to slow the tempo at the 30-minute mark, but did not look comfortable against the BVB’s offensive forward line, missing out on Bie and Adeeemi’s chances, leaving the Catalans nervous and heading for a break.
Dortmund resumed with his front paw after a restart and was rewarded within four minutes. Guaracia nodded at Bensebaini’s delivery, as Barcelona’s total led to only one. However, Benseverini’s joy at this seemingly important assist was short-lived. He accidentally turned the ball near Fermin Lopez into his own net, recovering cushions for visitors and dampening the team’s spirit.
Guirassy’s hat trick – completed by latching into Ronald Araujo’s poor clearance – again raised a miraculous belief, but despite his relentless offensive intentions, Dortmund was unable to find the target needed to complete the turnaround. Barcelona eventually stepped into the next round, not contentious.
Barcelona must return to the best
We won’t be sugar painted the fact that Tuesday’s display was well below Barcelona’s usual standards. The first half was overrun by the relentless Dortmund, visibly shaking after the break, with the Catalans too encouraging their hosts. It wasn’t a compiled clinical show, and Dortmund gave the true belief that the cards were shocking.
Hansi Flick rarely satisfied with the self-satisfaction on display. Dortmund was in the end short, but these final minutes of Catalonian neural energy was far from what would have been a routine passage to the semi-finals.
With Inter Milan or Bayern Munich coming ahead in the next round, Barcelona can’t afford to buy just as lazy and vulnerable nights. Not taking the opposition seriously through complacency at this level would cost them a lot in Anfield in 2019, and they would do well to remember it.
The backline is dangerously high
Barcelona’s offensive quality eventually separated the first foot side, but still Dortmund exposed a worrying flaw in the backline of La Blaugrana. Guirassy missed many promising opportunities that could rock a tie in Spain, but on Tuesday night he didn’t make such a mistake.
Dortmund exploited Barcelona’s reckless high line again and again, Guaracie thrived in the space behind him, and midfield didn’t run from Gross. Beier and Adeyemi were added to Chaos at a pace, especially when Dortmund chose a more direct approach.
Barcelona’s cause was not helped either by glaring individual errors. Szczesny’s clumsy challenge handed the host the opener. But broader concerns remain their defensive setup. Flick’s claims against the ultra-high line continue to cause trouble, and unless there is a tactical shift, the Inter or Bayern can pay them heartily in the semi-finals.
The Balka Forward was kept quiet
Barcelona’s deadly front three lit the pitch on countless occasions this season, but they were their own shadows at Dortmund. Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski combined to stitch together the expected goal of Minuscule 0.07 in just two shots in all games.
The trio were oddly out of pace, usually lacking the urgency, confidence and sharpness of the trademark that defined their play. Despite the open space left by Dortmund’s offensive press, they failed to capitalize and often appeared uncut in the last third.
It may be a night break for a unit that stands out throughout the season, but Barcelona can’t afford to perform repeatedly at this stage of the Champions League. In tougher tests on the horizon, their star attackers will have to rediscover the cutting edge.