Barcelona reaches first Champions League semifinal in six years; PSG moves forward in quest for maiden title

 

Barcelona secured a spot in the Champions League semifinals for the first time in six years, despite a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

A dominant 4-0 home victory in the first leg had put Barça in a commanding position, but Serhou Guirassy's hat-trick in the second leg put immense pressure on the Spanish side. The Guinean forward converted an early penalty and added a second with a header to cut Barcelona's four-goal lead.

Ramy Bensebaini’s own goal gave Barcelona some relief, extending their aggregate lead to 5-2. However, Dortmund continued their relentless push, with Guirassy completing his hat-trick with 15 minutes to go. Dortmund thought they had scored again moments later, but substitute Julian Brandt was ruled offside.

In the end, Barcelona held on to win 5-3 on aggregate, surviving a barrage of 18 shots, 11 of which were on target.

Barça coach Hansi Flick acknowledged Dortmund's strong performance, saying, “They made life very difficult for us, but we’re through to the next round, and that’s what matters. We didn’t play at our best, but Dortmund played really well."

The loss ended Barcelona’s 24-match unbeaten streak, which had included two Champions League knockout wins, a Supercopa de España title, a Copa del Rey final appearance, and a four-point lead in La Liga.

In other quarterfinal action, Paris Saint-Germain also made it through despite a scare. After a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the first leg, PSG seemed to have control with early goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. However, Villa responded with a deflected strike from Youri Tielemens and two quick goals from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa, putting the aggregate score at 5-4. PSG, despite losing 3-2 on the night, held on to advance to the semifinals.

PSG manager Luis Enrique reflected on the match, saying, “It was strange because we dominated early, but after making mistakes, we paid for it. The atmosphere at Villa Park made it tough, but this experience will help us grow.”

In the other quarterfinals, Inter Milan hosts Bayern Munich after a 2-1 win in Germany, while Real Madrid hopes to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Arsenal in their second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. The winner of that tie will face PSG in the semifinals.