Barca’s Road to Glory Takes a Bump with Dortmund Defeat

Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years. However, a 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final second leg leaves many pondering if they have what it takes to go all the way. Theствовал defeat, which put an end to Barcelona’s 45-match unbeaten run, has raised questions about their ability to cope under pressure.

Dortmund Expose Barcelona’s Defences

In a dominant display, Dortmund scored three times, had another one ruled out for offside, and controlled large parts of the game at Signal Iduna Park. The German side exploited spaces in front of Barcelona’s defence, with Karim Adeyemi proving particularly problematic down the left.

Barcelona attempted just one shot and conceded seven shots on target in the first 45 minutes, both their worst first-half records in any competition this season.

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who had remained unbeaten since joining the club, finally tasted defeat. In the end, Barcelona progressed 5-3 on aggregate, but the performance served as a stark warning ahead of their upcoming semi-final.

Pedri and Martinez: Irreplaceable Cogs

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick made changes for the game, resting Pedri and Inigo Martinez. However, the alterations only highlighted the pair’s importance to Barcelona’s system. Without Pedri, Barcelona lacked composure and struggled for creativity. Martinez’s absence was also felt defensively, with Barcelona looking unsettled at the back.

Barcelona have won 28 of their 32 games with Pedri in the side this season (D2 L2), compared to just 8 of their 11 games without him (W8 D3 L0).

Barca’s Semi-Final Fate

Barcelona now face either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the semi-finals. They have already beaten Bayern in the competition this season but may prefer to avoid the tricky test of Vincent Kompany’s Inter, who lead 2-1 from the first leg and have home advantage for the return.

Both teams will fancy their chances having seen Barcelona’s quarter-final struggles. Dortmund created 13 chances in the first leg and 18 in the second leg, underlining the fact that despite their domestic dominance, Barcelona remain vulnerable in Europe.

Manager Hansi Flick was gracious in defeat, expressing pride in his team’s accomplishments so far this season, “What’s important is that we are in the semifinal. Today we didn’t show what we want. We will analyze that, but we have improved this season. We are still in three competitions. We are in the Champions League semifinal. This is a huge success and something we should be very happy about.”

Barca’s achievements this season have been remarkable, but expectations are now sky-high. After their showing against Dortmund, it’s clear Barcelona will need to up their game if they’re to reach the final.

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To stay ahead of the competition, Flick and his team must address the chinks in their armour before facing either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the semi-finals. With their hopes of European glory still very much alive, Barcelona’s journey to redemption continues.