Bittersweet Sensation. Sweet because Barça is already in the Champions League semifinals six years later. Bitter, because Barça has lost its first match of 2024 and also for the first time in history has fallen to Borussia Dortmund.
Barça had a blot. They weren't even able to score a goal by themselves, as happened in the previous match in Leganés. And they played poorly, without intensity, without desire.
First Defeat in 2025
End to the streak of 24 matches (20 victories) without knowing defeat throughout 2025.
Flick had problems this time to mentally prepare a team that, without Pedri on the field, floundered and went adrift.
It was a match where nothing was supposed to happen, it had to be put to sleep from minute one and wait until the 90th. But too many things happened, and Dortmund simply took advantage of the little intensity that Barça's players put into the game.
It was probably Barça's worst first half so far this year. Flick's Barça missed Pedri a lot at the start of the match. The Germans took control of the game and Barça found no response to stand up while keeping their goal safe.
Dortmund arrived too easily. And in the effort to put the game to sleep, unsuccessfully, pursued by Frenkie De Jong, Gavi, and Fermín, the penalty came.
The Ghost of the Comeback, of Rome and Liverpool
The Italian Mariani, very worried about making a mistake against Barça, saw a penalty in a clash of Szczęsny with Adeyemi. Guirassy converted it into 1-0 in the 10th minute.
Panic seized the 3,000 blaugrana fans who traveled to Dortmund. All week talking about a comeback, and the comeback seemed to be started by Dortmund.
Barça took time to react, but halfway through the first half, they took control of the match, imposed their law in the midfield. And they started to have long possessions and reached the goal with danger.
Fermín, Raphinha, and Lamine had the goal at their feet. The equalizer could have come at the end of the first half. Bensebaini grabbed Lewandowski with both arms inside the area, throwing him to the ground.
Mariani opted for the easy way: foul by Lewandowski. The Italian referee made a sly arbitration. In case of doubt, always in favor of Dortmund.
It was an uncomfortable first half for Barça in which they couldn't fit their game. They missed Pedri, who is essential in this team.
But, far from fixing the situation after the break, Dortmund scored the 2-0 in a defensive oversight in which Guirassy scored with a free header.
The Signal Iduna roared and saw the feat of their team as possible, but a cross from Fermín was impeccably finished by Bensebaini. It was the 2-1 that calmed the spirits.
Then Pedri came out to put things in order. It seemed he was succeeding, but in the final moments of the match, Dortmund pressed and scored again through Guirassy, taking advantage of a gross gift from Araújo.
It was the 76th minute, and the Barça fans were on edge. All week talking about Real Madrid's comeback, and the ghosts of Rome or Liverpool appeared.
Hansi Flick Was Very Angry
Barça held on, but suffering, pulling the lines back, letting Dortmund come and going through more trouble than ever. Barça moves forward because they are superior to Borussia Dortmund. Much superior.
But they reach the semifinal six years later, generating many doubts. Especially due to the intensity shown by their players. The question remains whether it's due to fatigue or the apathy of having to defend a 4-0.
The truth is that Hansi Flick was very angry. At halftime, he put everyone in line in the locker room. The first half was the worst he had seen since he has been at Barça.
Now is not the time to falter, but to draw strength from weakness. The players also got to know the other side of Hansi Flick, who left a marked man in the match: Ronald Araújo, his gift to Guirassy in the third German goal was scandalous.
No one should be surprised if Flick puts Araújo in the fridge for a season. Cubarsí had to do his work and the Uruguayan's, leading a defense that missed Íñigo Martínez, their natural leader.
Now we just need to know the opponent. This Wednesday it will come from the Inter-Bayer match, in which the Italians have the advantage after winning 1-2 in Munich.