Barcelona relive flashbacks of Roma and Anfield in a much-needed warning for UCL aspirations
After a long absence from the semi-finals, Barcelona advanced in the UEFA Champions League, defeating Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona are through to the UEFA Champions League semi-final after six years – a long wait during which there was no shortage of drama at the club. Lionel Messi was forced to leave due to financial conditions; legendary Xavi was brought to rebuild the time only to get sacked after 2 years and 7 months, the financial fair play stopping them from buying big stars.
After all these heartbreaks, it seems like Barcelona are finally back. A club with a rich legacy of winning five UCL titles had faced six difficult years marked by group-stage exits and crushing defeats. Few believed Barcelona's new manager, Hansi Flick, could turn things around this quickly but the German manager has transformed the Catalan giants into a formidable force, positioning them to potentially win a treble – their third – if they can triumph in the UCL, La Liga, and Copa del Rey. They are in the pole position to win the league title with a four-point lead over Real Madrid, while they will lock horns against them in the Copa del Rey final, too.
However, Barcelona must win the Champions League to cement themselves as a mighty European force. Their last semifinal appearance was in 2019, when Liverpool crushed their hopes. Now, they’re back in the final four, with their opponent to be determined after the Inter Milan vs Bayern Munich clash.
The Blaugranas outclassed Borussia Dortmund 5-3 on aggregate in the quarter-final to get through, but the away tie on Wednesday (IST) brought back flashbacks from the past. The Spanish giants looked off-colours on the pitch as a 4-0 lead from the first half gave them a big advantage. But in recent years, the second leg in UCL knockouts has been very kind to Barcelona.
When Borussia Dortmund surged to a 2-0 lead with Serhou Guirassy’s goal in the 49th minute at Signal Iduna Park, Barcelona fans were haunted by memories of past defeats - like those against Roma in the 2017-18 season and Liverpool in the 2018-19 season. On both instances, Barcelona had thrown away significant first-leg leads in the away fixtures, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. However, Ramy Bensebaini's own goal from Fermin Lopez's cross in the 54th minute calmed some nerves down. Guirassy didn't stop there and scored another to complete his hat-trick, and Dortmund continued to fight back in the 76th minute.
The Barcelona front-three – Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal – has been in some incredible form this season. They endured a forgettable night at Signal Iduna Park, where the troika failed to click. The four-goal advantage allowed them to ease up after a hectic week, but Dortmund’s few mistakes could still spell another nightmare exit for Barcelona.
The visitors lacked control in midfield, particularly with Pedri sitting on the bench for the first 59 minutes. Additionally, Flick chose not to risk center-back Inigo Martinez, who had received a yellow card in the first leg. They also missed the dynamic presence of Alejandro Balde at left-back, which negatively affected their link-up play, as Gerard Martin was unable to push the ball forward from the flank in the same way.
Yamal not in his elements yet
Yamal,17, who has been the creative force from the right wing, also took a game to forget as his passes in the final third lacked accuracy. He looked in a rush while dropping the crosses in the middle and ended up losing possession numerous times. Raphinha, the top contender for the Ballon d'Or, also lacked the killing instinct in front of the goal, which allowed the game to drift away, and Dortmund won the leg 3-1, but the aggregate went in Barcelona's favour.
However, facing Inter or Bayern in the semis will be different, as both European giants know how to get the job done in the UCL.
Barcelona talisman Lewandowski also admitted that they can't afford to play like this in the semis and the final of the tournament.
"Today's game must be analysed thoroughly. We have to learn from it. We can't play like this.
"If we were going to lose and make mistakes, it's better that we made them at this stage. Going forward, there's no room for those errors," he insisted.
Barcelona must learn from their defeat to Dortmund and bring their A-game in both legs of the semifinal – against any opponent – to keep their UCL dream alive.
