Barcelona, Spain – On April 9, 2025, FC Barcelona demonstrated their dominance in European football by defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
The match started fiercely, with Barcelona quickly taking control and dictating the pace. Lamine Yamal showcased his skills early, beating Ramy Bensebaïni before hitting a tight-angle shot that missed the target (6th minute). Just two minutes later, Robert Lewandowski‘s shot was thwarted by Dortmund’s goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel (8th minute).
Barcelona’s pressing finally paid off when a free kick from Fermin Lopez found Iñigo Martinez, who headed the ball to Pau Cubarsi. He set up Raphinha, who finished well to put Barcelona ahead 1-0 in the 25th minute. This was Raphinha’s twelfth goal in this season’s competition, solidifying his role as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Dortmund struggled to respond as the match progressed. They had a few chances including a shot from Karim Adeyemi that went wide and a close effort from Serhou Guirassy that was saved by Barcelona’s Wojciech Szczęsny.
The second half saw Barcelona double their lead. Just three minutes after the break, a strong cross from Lamine Yamal found Lewandowski, who scored with a header to make it 2-0 (48th minute). This goal set the tone as Dortmund struggled to regain their footing.
Fermin Lopez was instrumental again as he combined well with Yamal before delivering a precise pass to Lewandowski, whose shot was deflected into the net, extending the lead to 3-0 in the 67th minute. Lewandowski celebrated his impressive eleventh goal of the tournament.
Barcelona continued to press forward, and in the 77th minute, Raphinha delivered a brilliant back-heeled pass to Yamal, who finished cleanly past Kobel, sealing a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
Despite a late surge from Dortmund, with attempts from Nilas Süle and Maximilian Beier being thwarted, they could not find the back of the net. The heavy defeat puts pressure on Dortmund ahead of the return leg, where they will need a miracle to advance to the semifinals.
This commanding win sets the stage for Barcelona, showing their intent to reclaim the Champions League title and warning their rivals that they’re a team to be reckoned with this season.
