The Catalan giants looked to have all but secured their first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2019 with a dominant 4-0 first-leg victory at home.
However, Dortmund produced a valiant and spirited display in a dramatic second leg, nearly pulling off an incredible comeback.
They sparked hope early when Serhou Guirassy calmly chipped a ‘Panenka’ penalty past Wojciech Szczesny in the 11th minute, after the Barcelona goalkeeper had brought down Pascal Gross in the box.
Guirassy struck again just four minutes into the second half to cut the deficit further, but Dortmund’s momentum was halted when Ramy Bensebaini accidentally sliced the ball into his own net, restoring Barcelona’s three-goal aggregate advantage.
Despite the setback, Dortmund continued to press, creating numerous chances and even seeing a goal from Gross ruled out for offside. Their persistence paid off in the 76th minute when Guirassy completed his hat-trick, lashing a poor clearance into the top of the net to ignite belief once more.
Julian Brandt thought he had added a dramatic fifth late on after racing clear and beating Szczesny, but celebrations were short-lived as the goal was disallowed for offside.
It was a brave and breathtaking fightback from the German side, but ultimately Barcelona held firm, booking their spot in the final four for the first time since their infamous collapse at Anfield six years ago.
They now await the winner of the Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich clash, with the Italians holding a 2-1 lead heading into Wednesday’s second leg at San Siro.
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