Barcelona crush Dortmund 4-0 in Champions League quarter-final first leg

Barcelona: Barcelona delivered a masterclass at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night, thrashing Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a commanding Champions League quarter-final first leg performance.

Robert Lewandowski struck twice to reach 40 goals for the season, while Raphinha and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal added to the tally as Hansi Flick’s men took a giant leap toward the semi-finals — a stage the Catalan giants haven’t reached since 2019.

Barca, now unbeaten in 23 matches, were dominant from start to finish against last season’s runners-up. Raphinha opened the scoring midway through the first half, tapping in a Pau Cubarsi effort that was already goal-bound. It was his 12th goal of the competition, cementing his place as this season’s top scorer.

Lewandowski, facing his former club, doubled the lead shortly after the break with a close-range header before firing home a third just after the hour mark. The 35-year-old now has 99 goals for Barcelona since joining in 2022 — and an incredible 29 goals in 28 games against Dortmund.

Teen prodigy Yamal capped off a dazzling display with a well-taken finish after being played in by Raphinha, giving the hosts an emphatic four-goal cushion ahead of next week's return leg in Germany.

“We played very well but it’s not over yet,” Lewandowski told Movistar. “We want to go there and play our football — and win again.”

Flick echoed that cautious optimism. “You never know in football — it’s a crazy sport,” he warned. “We have to go out and play like we did today.”

Dortmund had chances early on, with Serhou Guirassy missing two big opportunities, but their disjointed defending and lack of cutting edge cost them dearly.

“We made too many mistakes, and at this level, they get punished,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can.

Barcelona, chasing a historic quadruple this season, are now firm favorites to reach the final four — where either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich awaits. AFP