Barcelona almost gave us a massive Champions League meltdown at Borussia Dortmund in The Other Game of the night, and just when it appeared they had their act together, they pulled us back in.
A persuasive 4-0 win at home last week put Hansi Flick’s team on the verge of the Champions League semifinals, yet they chose to complicate matters significantly against what is likely the weakest team remaining in the tournament.
Serhou Guirassy's penalty in the 11th minute likely didn't cause much concern for any Barcelona supporter, but his second goal just four minutes into the second half would have prompted fans of the La Liga powerhouse to start paying serious attention.
In just four minutes, the slight anxieties of a major breakdown vanished due to a Ramy Bensebaini own goal. We believed Barcelona would cruise through the remainder of the match with their opponents deflated, but Guirassy demonstrated that Dortmund wouldn't surrender with a powerful finish, benefiting from an ineffective clearance by Ronald Araujo.
Like German teams often do, they persistently attempted to break through the Barcelona defense, and given Flick's coaching philosophy, they succeeded with ease. Julian Brandt found the net after breaking through one-on-one with Wojciech Szczesny, who gave away a penalty for Guirassy’s initial goal, although the German midfielder had evidently moved too soon.
Aiming for their desired objective, the Yellow Wall was pulsating and felt that something extraordinary was unfolding.
Ultimately, it was an overwhelming challenge for Dortmund, given the harm inflicted in the first leg. What they demonstrated, though, was that teams can exploit Barcelona if they have the right tactical approach.
This season's success hinges on the dazzling front trio of Ballon d'Or contender Raphinha, 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal, and veteran Robert Lewandowski, while their midfield creativity and defensive weaknesses have been largely ignored.
At a personal level, the sole Barcelona defender we truly believe is an excellent player is Jules Kounde. Certainly, Pau Cubarsi is a prodigy, but being a teenage centre-back presents a different challenge than being a teenage right-winger.
Niko Kovac executed his tactics perfectly against another ex-Bayern Munich coach in Flick, but we must stress that he completely failed in the first leg as his team was overwhelmed and buried with 90 minutes remaining.
Kovac offered the strategy for managers who have superior players available, and you would now expect Inter to take advantage of them in the semi-final, if you didn't think so already. Facing Bayern would provide a more balanced contest and definitely be more enjoyable for me, Clive.
It was a tense evening, but Barca eventually triumphed over two legs and can relax while Inter and Bayern face off on Wednesday night.
In contrast to the other quarter-final that evening, there was never a true sense that Dortmund could rally to advance.
They gave their all in that match – particularly Guirassy, who scored a hat-trick – but everything and beyond was never going to suffice.
Arsenal will find motivation in PSG’s close call and the potential of facing Barcelona in the final, which will bring a lot of hope to the red side of north London.
Arsenal and Inter are the only teams this season with an impeccable Champions League knockout record, but visiting the Bernabeu is a challenging challenge for the former, even with a three-goal aggregate advantage as they head to Madrid.
The current draw situation allows for a possible El Clasico Champions League final, and Barcelona has played their part on a night that hinted at potential historic comebacks. The responsibility now lies with Real Madrid to truly deliver one to us.
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