Lamine Yamal (18, Barcelona) has rewritten Champions League history.
FC Barcelona crushed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Champions League held at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain, on the 10th (Korean time).
With this victory, Barcelona created a favorable situation where they can advance to the semifinals even if they lose by three goals in the second leg.
Barcelona lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Robert Lewandowski was positioned at the forefront while Raphinha, Fermín López, and Lamine Yamal stood in the attacking midfield. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong filled the midfield, while Alejandro Balde, Iñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarci, and Jules Koundé formed the back four. Wojciech Szczęsny guarded the goal.
Dortmund also matched up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Sébastien Haller aimed to score alone, while Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens positioned themselves in the attacking midfield. Kani Chukwuemeka and Felix Nmecha protected the back four, which included Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton, Emre Can, and Julian Ryerson. The goalkeeper gloves were worn by Gregor Kobel.
The opening goal was in Barcelona's favor. In the 25th minute of the first half, Cubarci headed the ball down, which Raphinha tapped in from close range, giving Barcelona momentum. Dortmund countered with Haller leading the charge, but they missed crucial opportunities and ended the first half.
The second half was entirely in Barcelona's rhythm. In the 48th minute, Lewandowski received a headed pass from Raphinha and struck an additional goal, and in the 66th minute, he completed a multi-goal game with a right-footed shot during a counter-attack.
The key to the match was the flank attack formed by Raphinha and Yamal. In the 77th minute, Yamal received a pass from Raphinha, evaded the opposing defense, and pierced the net with his left foot. It was a calm finish that struck the decisive blow to Dortmund.
With this victory, Barcelona is on the brink of reaching the semifinals for the first time since the 2018-2019 season, and following their lead in La Liga and advancement to the Copa del Rey final, their potential for a treble is also increasing.
The statistics site 'SofaScore' highlighted that Barcelona and Yamal set pleasant records after the match.
Yamal, who started and roamed the pitch for about 86 minutes, became the youngest player to appear in 20 Champions League matches at the age of 17 years and 270 days.
In addition to scoring one goal against Dortmund, Yamal recorded four shots, an 81% passing accuracy (35/43), two created chances, five touches in the opponent's box, one successful dribble, seven passes in the attacking area, one successful tackle, and six ball recoveries, showcasing his best performance.
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