FOOTBALL

NIKO KOVAČ EXPERIENCED A DEBACK AGAINST BARCELONA

tsg_news April 9, 2025

Barcelona convincingly defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the Montjuïc stadium, taking a big step towards reaching the semi-finals. Goals for the hosts were scored by Raphinha (25′), Robert Lewandowski (48′, 67′) and Lamine Yamal (77′), while the return match is scheduled for April 15 in Dortmund. This was the second meeting between these teams this season; in the group stage, Barcelona won away 3-2, and this time they were even more dominant.

Barcelona’s dominance from start to finish

Barcelona controlled the game from the first minute, creating three big chances in the opening seven minutes. Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski came close to scoring, but the score remained the same until the 25th minute. Then Fermin Lopez took a free kick, Inigo Martinez headed the ball towards Jules Kounde, whose shot on the goal line was confirmed by Raphinha. Although the situation was checked for a possible backfield, the goal was conceded.

Borussia had its best chance in the first half towards the end when Serhou Guirassy missed the ball in front of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Barcelona continued to press and increased their lead at the beginning of the second half. Yamal’s precise cross found Raphinha, who assisted Lewandowski for a close-range header.

Effective ending and key moments

The third goal came after a quick counterattack in the 67th minute when Fermin Lopez assisted Lewandowski for his second goal of the game. The final result was set by the young Lamine Yamal in the 77th minute after a great action that they started by cutting the ball in the middle of the field and assisted by Raphinha.

Although the visitors tried to threaten in the end, including Julien Duranville’s goal disallowed due to the backfield, they failed to seriously threaten the hosts. Borussia faced problems due to the absence of key players such as Marcel Sabitzer and Nice Schlotterbeck, while the Catalans played without Dani Olmo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Statements after the UEFA Champions League match:

Before the last goal we conceded, we were the ones who took a cross from the sideline and then got a goal from the counter. Then we lose the ball in the middle, and then another counterattack. A free kick, then another counterattack. Those are three goals from the counterattack. That’s too much, and that’s not good at all.

You can lose the ball, it is part of the game, but you also have to make the right decisions. It was a two-on-two outside defense. It’s certainly not always easy for wingers to follow when their defenders go on the attack. But at that level, though, you have to get back on defense. If you don’t, the two-on-one situations where you have to defend from the back will punish you.

I find that one player thinks about the other in a way, if I save a meter here, it will give me more space later in the attack. But as I always say, if you don’t have the ball, you can’t score. First of all, you have to actively defend yourself. And that’s exactly what didn’t go our way, especially on the flanks, that’s why we were repeatedly run over on those flanks.