Borussia Dortmund delivered a thrilling 3-1 victory over Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg, but the night belonged to Serhou Guirassy, whose hat-trick nearly sparked an historic comeback for the German side. Despite Dortmund’s relentless pressure and Guirassy’s clinical finishing—including a chipped penalty in the 11th minute and a close-range header after halftime—Barcelona clung to their aggregate advantage, advancing 5-3 overall.
Barcelona, who had thrashed Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg, suffered their first defeat of but secured their first Champions League semi-final appearance since. Ramy Bensebaini’s own goal in the 54th minute briefly offered hope for the visitors, but Guirassy’s third of the night restored Dortmund’s lead, leaving the Catalans nervously defending their aggregate cushion.
Barça now await the winner of Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, while Dortmund’s valiant effort and Guirassy’s record-setting performance—becoming only the fourth Dortmund player with a Champions League hat-trick—will be remembered as one of the campaign’s most dramatic near-misses.
