Voracious, lethal, fast-paced, flashy, and almost perfect. There are many adjectives that can define this Barça, a team that subdues opponents with sleight of hand tricks without them being able to anticipate how they will be dismantled. Because it doesn't matter if their analysts have dissected them, this talent cannot be predicted and does not forgive any mistakes.
The magic wand in this team is Pedri, capable of finding spaces where no one sees them or making pinpoint passes that turn the balls into missiles that Lamine Yamal or Raphinha use to inflict damage on the opponents. It took just two minutes for Dortmund and their small yellow wall to realize. The Brazilian escaped down the wing to deliver a low cross between the defense and the goalkeeper that Bensebaine prevented Lewandowski from hunting. The siege had begun, and within six minutes, all the artillery had appeared.
Kobel had to save the typical shot from Lamine with a cut and a left-footed strike, but the young player still made him suffer when, with a nutmeg dribble, he found himself on the goal line and attempted a curling shot with almost no angle that almost surprised the Swiss goalkeeper. Confidence made him not opt for a back pass to Lewandowski, who got his chance with an assist from Raphinha for a hard shot from the penalty spot that once again made the German goalkeeper shine.
Flick's team was hurting Dortmund on the flanks with ease while the Germans chased balls and Guirassy only appeared to fall into the offside trap.
It seemed like a matter of time before Barça scored, even if it was in a silly play for the visitors. A hair pull by Adeyemi on Koundé led to a direct free-kick that Fermín sent far past the second post for Íñigo Martínez to head it down to Cubarsí. The central defender nudged it with his toe, but as it headed towards the goal line, Raphinha tapped it in. The VAR reviewed the Brazilian's position and confirmed his goal, his twelfth in the Champions League, which Cubarsí had celebrated.
Barça had two more chances to increase the score, both involving the same players. Lamine failed to find Raphinha on a counterattack to face Kobel, and the goal scorer also failed to connect with the next pass from the young star.
The effervescence shown by Barça began to fade after the half-hour mark when Dortmund found a way to reach the area. The first chance was wasted by an inaccurate Guirassy, who did the same near halftime before turning against Cubarsí and sending his first intentional shot towards the side netting of Szczesny. The Blaugranas had lost the absolute control they had from the start of the match, but the Germans were a blunt team.
Kovac hoped his team would wake up in the second half. He sought more bite and cleaner marking, with Beier holding Raphinha, but before they could react, they were once again overwhelmed by Barça's suffocating pressure. They pinned them back in their area and found another goal. The Pedri connection with Lamine reappeared to deliver a ball to the far post, where Raphinha headed it back to the near post, almost into the top corner, where the Polish striker's head appeared. Barça unleashed another onslaught that made them unstoppable.
Fermín had two chances, hitting the post with the first and Ryerson accidentally clearing the second as it was heading into the net. He didn't need to shoot in the third chance, but credit must be given. It was a play that epitomizes Flick's style. A steal by De Jong at the edge of his area, he passed to Lamine on the right side to launch Fermín on a run, this time on the wing. The Andalusian ran with a clear advantage but chose to find Lewandowski, who was alone in the center. In a perfect 13-second move, the Pole finished it with a third goal. He even managed to steal a ball that Raphinha sent flying and that Lamine, with his toe, turned into the fourth goal. Dortmund only managed to beat Szczesny in an offside position. Nothing was enough to prevent Barça from stepping into the semifinals.