Robert Lewandowski struck twice as Barcelona dismantled Borussia Dortmund 4-0 at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday to all but seal their passage into the semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League.
The five-time European champions took a commanding step toward a first last-four appearance since 2019, extending their unbeaten run to 23 matches in the process.
Red-hot winger Raphinha opened the scoring midway through the first half before Lewandowski’s second-half brace – his 40th and 41st goals of the season – effectively ended the contest. Teenager Lamine Yamal added a fourth with a composed finish, capping a performance that will be remembered as much for its flair as for its ruthlessness.
“We played very well but we still have one more game to go,” said Lewandowski, typically restrained despite edging closer to yet another Champions League milestone. “We want to play our football again in Germany [the final is in Munich] and we will go there to win.”
Barcelona travel to Dortmund for the return leg next Tuesday, with the winner facing either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
If the result reflected a gulf in quality, it was also a testament to Hansi Flick’s tactical clarity. Opting for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in midfield, the German coach struck the right balance between invention and intensity, allowing his front three – Raphinha, Lewandowski and Yamal – to wreak havoc.
Raphinha opened the scoring in the 25th minute, pouncing on a Cubarsi effort that was already creeping over the line after a clever set-piece routine initiated by Lopez. The Brazilian’s 12th goal of the competition was only confirmed after a lengthy VAR review.
“I apologised to Cubarsi because I touched the ball before it crossed,” Raphinha said. “But he told me not to worry – he’d count it as an assist.”
Dortmund, runners-up in last season’s competition, had their moments – Serhou Guirassy missed two clear chances before the break – but once Lewandowski struck three minutes after half time, the contest slipped from their grasp.
Yamal, a constant threat on the right, picked out Raphinha with a clipped cross, whose looping header was nodded home at the back post by the Polish striker. The third came on 66 minutes – Lopez again involved, threading the pass for Lewandowski to finish low at the near post.
That strike marked Lewandowski’s 99th in a Barcelona shirt and his 29th career goal against Dortmund, the club he left in 2014.
“In my head I always have not just winning, but helping the team with my qualities and with goals,” he said. “Strikers always have to think about goals.”
Fittingly, the final act belonged to Yamal, the 16-year-old prodigy whose energy and imagination proved too much for the Bundesliga side. Sent through by Raphinha, the winger coolly slotted home Barcelona’s fourth, before being substituted to a standing ovation.
“He’s fine – he just played too many minutes lately,” Flick confirmed post-match.
Raphinha's 25th-minute opener and subsequent assists for Lewandowski and Yamal took him to 19 goal involvements in 11 games this campaign, the same number as Lionel Messi achieved in 11 outings in the 2011/12 season.
Three more and Raphinha will break the all-time Champions League record, set in 2013/14 when Cristiano Ronaldo contributed to 21 goals in 11 games while at Real Madrid.
For Dortmund, the inquest begins. Captain Emre Can admitted his side had been architects of their own downfall.
“We made simple mistakes and at this level, you get punished for them,” he told DAZN. “We weren’t cohesive enough – but we know we can do better.”
Villa have mountain to climb against PSG
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored one of the great Champions League goals as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday.
Morgan Rogers had given Villa a 35th-minute lead at the Parc des Princes to silence the home fans, but PSG were quickly back level through a fine strike by Desire Doue.
Kvaratskhelia then took centre stage with a stunning effort on 49 minutes, before Nuno Mendes added a crucial third in stoppage time, giving PSG a significant two-goal cushion to take into the return in Birmingham next Tuesday.
Having eliminated Liverpool in the last 16, Luis Enrique's team are now in a very strong position to reach the semi-finals for the second season running.
"We are happy with this result but we have to keep going because there is the second game and the job is not finished," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus, before claiming he could not clearly recall his sublime goal.
"It was OK. I didn't remember it exactly but now I will check inside so I will see if it was quite good."
Villa, who had Prince William in the Paris crowd backing them along with his son George, will need to produce a memorable fightback at home if they are to make the last four of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 1982.
"We managed to get the opening goal which is about the hardest thing to do, but we were up against a great team. You have to admit that," Lucas Digne told Canal Plus.
"They produced moments of brilliance. Now we have to do the job in the return. We will have to open up a bit more but it is still doable."
