Robert Lewandowski hit a brace to assist a devastating Barcelona rout Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a one-sided Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semi-finals for the primary time since 2019 and prolonged their unbeaten run to 23 matches. The five-time winners took the lead in opposition to final yr’s runners-up by way of red-hot winger Raphinha earlier than Lewandowski reached 40 objectives for the season together with his double. Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable pressure all through and deftly prodded house Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed. Barca, who final lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a remaining 4 conflict in opposition to Inter Milan or Bayern Munich after they go to Germany subsequent Tuesday.
“I believe we performed very nicely however we now have another recreation to go… we all the time need to play our soccer and we need to play it there and we are going to win,” Lewandowski instructed Movistar.
Flick warned his group that the job was not achieved but.
“You by no means know what is going to occur, soccer is a loopy sport, we now have to play like right this moment,” he stated.
The coach chosen his typical facet, with just one resolution to make — he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to help the dynamic ahead trio.
La Liga leaders Barcelona seized management from the beginning, opening the scoring after 25 minutes.
Lopez whipped a free-kick to the again put up, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball in direction of Pau Cubarsi, who turned it in direction of objective.
The younger defender’s effort beat Gregor Kobel and was heading over the road earlier than the match’s high scorer Raphinha slid in to ensure, claiming his twelfth objective.
The Brazilian winger confronted a nervous wait whereas VAR labored to substantiate his strike was onside.
“I used to be apprehensive on the primary objective if I used to be offside, it is good that it was legitimate,” stated Raphinha.
“I touched the ball earlier than the road and I apologised to Cubarsi, he instructed me to not fear, he would rely it as an help.”
Serhou Guirassy spurned a few huge possibilities for the guests to degree earlier than the break.
With Dortmund’s first slick attacking transfer of the sport, the ahead, who has 10 objectives within the competitors, was performed in however snatched badly at a bouncing ball with simply Wojciech Szczesny to beat.
Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund got here to remorse Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his tenth of the match early within the second half.
Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski on the far put up to nod house from just about below the crossbar three minutes after the interval.
Lopez struck the put up and lashed inches over as Barcelona looked for a 3rd to kill the tie off. It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill house on the close to put up.
This was the previous Dortmund striker’s twenty ninth objective in 28 matches in opposition to his outdated membership, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since becoming a member of in 2022.
“I’m very blissful, 99 objectives for the membership,” added Lewandowski.
“In my head I all the time haven’t simply successful, however serving to the group with my qualities, objectives.
“I believe strikers all the time have to consider objectives.”
Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defence all night time, deservedly bought on the scoresheet because the guests left themselves large open and Raphinha despatched the teenager by way of on objective.
The solely fear for Barca was Yamal asking to get replaced within the remaining levels, though he was smiling as he was afforded an ovation.
“He’s superb, he had performed too many minutes (recently),” defined Flick.
Barca are aiming for a possible quadruple this season and on this proof, they are going to take some stopping.
Dortmund had been left licking their wounds.
“We weren’t cohesive sufficient, and what’s extra, we made easy errors — at this degree they’re punished harshly,” Dortmund’s Emre Can instructed DAZN.
“I believe we will do higher, even when (the Barca attackers) are so good, I do know that.”
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