"Borussia" D - "Barcelona" 3:1: Girassi's hat-trick was not enough for the semi-finals (video)

In Dortmund, Borussia defeated Barcelona 3–1. Girassi scored a hat-trick, but due to the big win in Catalonia, Flick’s team advanced to the semifinals.

UCL, Quarterfinals. Second leg
Borussia Dortmund – Barcelona 3–1
Goals: Girassi 11' (pen.), 49', 76' – Bensebaini 54' (own goal)

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Süle, Anton, Bensebaini – Couto (Brandt 77), Gross, Nmecha (Reyna 64), Svensson – Adeyemi (Gittens 77), Girassi, Bayer (Duranville 65)
Barcelona: Szczesny – Koundé, Cubarsí, Araujo, Martin – Gavi (Pedri 59), de Jong – López (E. Garcia 70) – Yamal (F. Torres 70), Lewandowski (Olmo 86), Raphinha
Booked: Nmecha 56 – de Jong 35
First leg: 0–4

Barcelona reached the Champions League semifinals, but Borussia Dortmund came close to pulling off a sensational comeback. This was Barça’s first loss of the year.

Before kickoff, reports claimed Szczesny injured his hand in warmup, yet he started. Bayer tested him early, but the shot was saved.

Dortmund pressed intensely and disrupted Barça’s game plan. VAR awarded a penalty for Szczesny’s foul on Gross. Girassi calmly converted with a panenka.

By mid-first half, Dortmund was in full control: 7–0 shots, 5–0 on target, 1.75 xG to 0.02. Their aggressive 3-4-3 setup exposed Barça’s high line.

Lewandowski was isolated, unable to make an impact, despite chasing his 100th goal at the stadium where he rose to fame.

In the second half, Girassi scored again after a corner, assisted by a Bensebaini flick. But then Bensebaini scored an own goal while trying to intercept a cross from Fermín.

Youngster Duranville revived Dortmund’s attack. He beat two defenders, crossed, and Girassi capitalized to complete his hat-trick — now the UCL top scorer.

Brandt scored a fourth, but it was ruled out for offside. Dortmund ran out of time. Flick slowed the tempo, lowered the backline, and managed the game.

Despite the loss, Borussia exited the tournament with pride. But for Flick, it was a warning sign.

Borussia D Barcelona Girassi Hat-trick Semi-final Football News