Champions League: Robert Lewandowski scores brace as Barcelona thrash Dortmund
What's the story
FC Barcelona thrashed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 with Robert Lewandowski scoring a brace in a crucial UEFA Champions League 1st leg quarter-finals clash.
The match was played at Montjuic and all three forwards of Barcelona got their names on the score sheet.
The win puts Barcelona in a commanding position to seal their place in the semi-finals of the tournament with the return leg to go.
Match analysis
Barcelona's early dominance in the match
Barcelona displayed their attacking intent from the first minute of the match.
Lamine Yamal was key in creating early opportunities, forcing Gregor Kobel into a save and almost scoring with a well-placed shot that just missed the far post.
Raphinha also played a key role by setting up a chance for Lewandowski, whose powerful strike was saved by Kobel.
However, Borussia Dortmund couldn't find their rhythm against Barcelona's relentless attack.
Midfield dominance
Barcelona's midfield control and Raphinha's creativity
Barcelona's midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong dominated the game, with Fermin Lopez adding to their efforts.
Raphinha was especially lively, almost catching Dortmund off-guard with a smart short corner.
The breakthrough arrived when Inigo Martinez headed back a clipped free-kick, allowing 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi to guide it toward goal.
Raphinha got the final touch on this shot, confirming his position onside after a lengthy VAR check.
Missed chances
Dortmund's struggle and missed opportunities
Dortmund struggled to deal with Barcelona's relentless pressure, often failing to capitalize on their opportunities.
A promising chance went begging when Serhou Guirassy's shot was blocked by Jules Kounde.
Guirassy had another golden opportunity but failed to connect with Carney Chukwuemeka's pass, allowing Wojciech Szczesny to comfortably collect the ball.
Despite some late first-half pressure, Dortmund were unable to convert their chances into goals.
Second half
Barcelona extend lead with a spectacular goal
Barcelona returned for the second half with renewed vigor, quickly doubling their lead.
Pedri's expertly placed ball found Yamal, whose perfect looping ball reached Raphinha.
Raphinha then headed it back across for Lewandowski to finish, leaving Kobel helpless.
This goal seemed to deflate Dortmund's spirits, leading to Barcelona's third goal shortly after as Lewandowski scored again following a quick exchange between Fermin and Lamine Yamal.
Final goals
Barcelona's final flourish and Raphinha's contribution
Barcelona kept hammering Dortmund's defense and Raphinha provided a spectacular assist for the fourth goal.
He picked out Yamal in space, who controlled the ball to perfection before slotting it into the net with his boot.
This last goal capped off a brilliant performance from Barcelona and further highlighted their dominance in this match against Borussia Dortmund.
Lewy
Lewandowski races to 99 goals for Barca
Lewandowski has raced to 11 Champions League goals this season from 11 matches. Overall, he has scored 40 goals for Barca this season in all competitions from 45 matches.
The veteran Polish striker is one shy of 100 goals for Barcelona. He owns 99 goals in 140 matches for the club.
Overall in the Champions League, Lewandowski extended his tally to 105 goals in 131 matches.
Duo
28 goals and 20 assists for Raphinha this season
Yamal now owns 21 goals in 94 appearances for Barca, including 14 this season from 43 matches.
On the other hand, Raphinha has raced to 28 goals in 45 matches for Barca this season. Overall, in 132 appearances, he has 48 goals under his belt.
The Brazilian also extended his assists tally to 20 this season. He owns 7 assists in the UCL 2024/25 campaign.
Raphinha is the top scorer in UCL this season with 12 goals.
Information
Here are the match stats
Barca had 18 attempts with 10 shots on target. Hansi Flick's men owned 61% ball possession and had 88% pass accuracy from 546 passes. Dortmund had three shots on target from 13 attempts.
Twitter Post
4-0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 9, 2025
FULL TIME!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#BarçaBVB @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/CmtIQpXUm9