Barcelona delivered a dominant performance on Wednesday, thrashing Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Robert Lewandowski scored a brace, pushing his season tally to 40 goals, as the Catalan giants surged closer to their first semi-final appearance since 2019.
The match was virtually decided in the first half, with Barcelona taking the lead thanks to Raphinha’s goal. The Brazilian winger capitalized on a free-kick that followed a foul by Karim Adeyemi. His strike was initially ruled offside, but VAR confirmed it as legal, giving the hosts the advantage in the 25th minute.
Barcelona’s relentless attack continued after the break. Lewandowski scored his first goal three minutes into the second half, nodding in a header from a Raphinha cross. The Polish striker added a second goal in the 66th minute, converting a precise pass from Fermin Lopez at the near post.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal completed the rout in the final moments of the match, scoring Barcelona’s fourth after another brilliant assist from Raphinha.
With the win, Barcelona extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches, setting up a near-insurmountable advantage going into next Tuesday’s second leg in Germany. The result leaves Hansi Flick’s side on the cusp of a semi-final berth, with a potential clash against either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in their sights.
Barcelona’s performance was marked by fluid attacking play, stellar contributions from their forwards, and strong defensive organization. Despite Dortmund’s occasional flashes of promise, particularly through Serhou Guirassy, they couldn’t recover from their earlier missed opportunities.
The outcome of this match puts Barcelona in a strong position to continue their quest for a first Champions League title since 2015. The team’s potential for a quadruple this season remains firmly intact.
