Niko Kovac (54), the manager, talked about the crushing defeat against FC Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund was defeated 0-4 by Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League, held on the 10th (Korean time) at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain.

With this, Dortmund is now on the brink, needing to score at least four goals in the second leg to have a chance at advancing to the semifinals.

On this day, Dortmund lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Seru Girasi started as the sole striker, with Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens forming the supporting line. Kani Chukwuemeka and Felix Nmecha held down the midfield, while the defense consisted of Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton, Emre Can, and Julian Rierson. Gregor Kobel was in goal.

Barcelona matched up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Robert Lewandowski took the lead, while Raphinha, Ferran López, and Lamine Yamal stood in the attacking second line. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong composed the midfield, and Alejandro Balde, Iñigo Martínez, Pau Kiwaharshi, and Jules Koundé formed the back four. Wojciech Szczesny guarded the net.

Dortmund struggled against the opponent's fast attacks from the beginning of the first half. In the 25th minute, Barcelona defender Kiwaharshi headed the ball down, which Raphinha pushed into the net, conceding the opening goal. Afterward, Girasi had a chance to equalize but failed to finish, ending the first half at 0-1.

In the second half, Dortmund was completely overwhelmed. In the 3rd minute, they allowed a second goal to Lewandowski, and in the 21st minute, they conceded another multi-goal to Lewandowski during a counterattack.

The most painful moment came in the 32nd minute. Lamine Yamal, who received a pass from Raphinha, easily evaded the defense and scored a clinching goal with his left foot. Dortmund's defense was unable to contain his movements, and the match was decided.

In the end, the match concluded with Dortmund's 0-4 defeat. They now face a situation where a miraculous comeback is needed in the second leg.

After the match, the UEFA Champions League reported Kovac's interview through its official website.

Kovac said, "Defeats are always painful. Especially when it's a loss by such a large margin. However, I also saw positive aspects in the match. Now my role is to communicate those aspects well to the players."

He noted, "We soon face Bayern Munich in an away match. That team also has a level of strength similar to Barcelona. We must show significantly better organization in defense in the next two matches," mentioning the upcoming 'Der Klassiker.'

Kovac said, "We must defend together. If we do not move strongly against teams like this, it’s not a game we can win. They have several world-class players on their team."

He added, "However, my players worked hard enough, showed a lot of activity, and created several scoring opportunities. This is positive."

[OSEN]