BARCELONA — A blistering Barcelona aspect blew Borussia Dortmund away on the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday to transport to the edge of a primary UEFA Champions League semifinal since 2019. They did so with objectives from each and every in their devastating entrance 3: Raphinha opened the scoring, Robert Lewandowski netted two times, and Lamine Yamal finished the 4-0 win past due on.
There’s nonetheless the second one leg to come back in Dortmund subsequent week, however it is exhausting to peer Barça now not putting in a last 4 assembly towards both Bayern Munich or Internazionale. This can be a Barça aspect that performs as a crew, works exhausting for each and every different and, most significantly, has an assault that frequently feasts on objectives.
It is among the issues trainer Hansi Flick says he loves maximum about this crew. They by no means put the handbrake on.
Editor’s Alternatives
2 Similar
“It is not completed at 2-0 or 3-0,” Flick stated again in January, in the beginning of Barça’s unbeaten run which now stretches to 23 video games in all competitions. “They move to the top of the fit. That is what I like and what we love to play.”
That would be the ethos in Germany subsequent week.
“I believe we performed rather well, however now we have yet another recreation to move,” Lewandowski instructed journalists after the sport. “We at all times wish to play our recreation and we wish to move there and win. That is at all times the target.
“If in case you have a 4-0 lead at half-time [in the tie], in the second one half of in Dortmund you should play the similar. And even higher. That is the Champions League and we at all times wish to be at our highest.”
Lewandowski is a superb position to start out. His brace took him to 40 objectives for the season, and 99 for Barça, on the grand previous age of 36. He has continuously been overpassed with Raphinha and Yamal dazzling each side of him and Pedri pulling strings in midfield, however he’s at all times ever-present towards Dortmund.
His former aspect should be ill of the sight of him. He headed in Barça’s 2d right here and added the 3rd with a low end after excellent paintings from Yamal and Fermín López. Each objectives have been accompanied with rabid celebrations in spite of having spent 4 years taking part in for Dortmund earlier than his 2014 transfer to Bayern Munich. He has long gone on to attain an astonishing 29 instances in 28 video games towards them since.
Raphinha, in the meantime, is having a Champions League season for the ages. He leads the contest with 12 objectives — adopted via Lewandowski’s 11 — and has tallied 19 target contributions in overall. That is the maximum ever for a Brazilian and degree with Lionel Messi’s highest Eu marketing campaign for the Catalan membership. His first towards Dortmund used to be his best possible but — but in addition created a nerve-wracking wait as VAR checked for an offside. Pau Cubarsí’s contact used to be heading in when the Brazilian slid in to ensure, with the revision ultimately confirming he used to be simply onside.
play
1:18
Moreno: Dortmund by no means stood an opportunity towards Barcelona
Ale Moreno says it is no marvel to peer Borussia Dortmund passed a heavy defeat via Barcelona.
“I used to be anxious at the first target if I used to be offside, it is excellent that it used to be given,” Raphinha instructed journalists. “I apologised to Cubarsí. He instructed me no worries, he’d rely it as an help. I believed the ball used to be going extensive, it used to be an instinctive choice.”
The numbers are on a par with one of the vital highest assaults to have graced the Champions League within the twenty first century. Raphinha and Lewandowski are the primary teammates to attain 10+ objectives within the festival in one season since Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané controlled the feat for Liverpool in 2017-18. The remaining Barça pair to each ranking double figures have been Messi in Neymar in 2014-15, the remaining time the Blaugrana received the contest.
STREAM ESPN FC DAILY ON ESPN+
Dan Thomas is joined via Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to convey you the most recent highlights and debate the largest storylines. Move on ESPN+ (U.S. simplest).
After which there may be Yamal, who changed into the primary participant to ever ranking a couple of objectives within the Champions League knockout rounds earlier than turning 18. He had tortured Dortmund from the beginning. A super Gregor Kobel save stored him out within the 5th minute, he then curled over earlier than putting in Raphinha, who shot into the aspect netting.
{The teenager}’s cross to López within the build-up to Lewandowski’s 2d target used to be elegant, too, and he capped his evening together with his 14th target of the season, treating the supporters to a dance with left-back Alejandro Balde to toast every other four-goal appearing from Barça.
That is the twenty first time this season Flick’s aspect have netted 4 or extra objectives in a recreation. They have got performed 48 fits. They have got scored 36 objectives in 11 Champions League video games, a mean of over 3 according to fit. That is seven greater than every other crew — and they have performed no less than two fewer video games than maximum.
It is on the different finish the place groups will glance to do them injury if their unbeaten run is to finish. Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy neglected a hat trick of probabilities on the finish of the primary half of. If one in all them had long gone it, it would had been a unique recreation.
The guests additionally had probabilities past due on. Wojciech Szczęsny stored from United States world Giovanni Reyna and there used to be a past due target dominated out for offside, however there used to be to be no past due comfort for Niko Kovač’s aspect to take again to Germany. Different warring parties might not be so wasteful, however retaining Barça out is every other factor.
Wednesday’s goal-fest, although the exhausting paintings continues to be to be completed, will do little to quell communicate of a treble. Barça are already into the Copa del Rey ultimate on April 26, the place they’re going to face Actual Madrid, whilst additionally they lead LaLiga via 4 issues with 8 video games to move. And still have one foot in a Champions League semifinal.
“If you’re pronouncing that every other crew goes to win, I have no idea why you move out directly to the pitch to play, so we will win the treble,” Yamal instructed ESPN this week. “We’re Barça. We’ve already completed it [in 2009 and 2015] — confidently we will do it once more.”
