There was no dramatic twist. Borussia Dortmund nearly wrote a comeback story, but Barcelona reached the semifinals of the 'War of the Stars.'

On the 6th (Korean time), Borussia Dortmund defeated FC Barcelona 3-1 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinal held at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, for the 2024-2025 season.

After suffering a 0-4 defeat in the first leg, Dortmund secured an overwhelming two-goal victory at home. However, they failed to advance to the semifinals, with a total score of 3-5 over the two legs.

Last season's runner-up, Dortmund, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. In contrast, Barcelona reached the semifinals for the first time in two seasons.

Dortmund placed Seru Giarsi, Maximilian Wollny, and Karim Adeyemi in the attack and set up Daniel Svensson, Pascal Groß, Felix Nmecha, and Jan Kuto in the midfield. The defense consisted of Ramy Bensebaini, Waldemar Anton, and Niklas Süle, with Gregor Kobel in goal.

Barcelona formed their attack around Robert Lewandowski, with Raphinha, Fermín López, and Lamine Yamal. In the midfield, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi participated, while the defense featured Gerard Martín, Pau Cubarsí, Ronald Araújo, and Jules Koundé. The goal was protected by Wojciech Szczęsny.

Dortmund started aggressively from the beginning. In the 11th minute of the first half, Seru Giarsi scored the opening goal with a penalty kick. They pressured Barcelona throughout the first half. Out of 10 shots, 7 were on target, while Barcelona managed only one shot. Without Szczęsny's saves, the score could have been wider.

The first half ended with Dortmund leading 1-0.

Continuing their momentum, Dortmund shook the net again in the 49th minute of the second half. Giarsi scored another goal in a scramble in front of the net, completing a multi-goal performance.

However, in the 54th minute, Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini's own goal allowed Barcelona to pull one back, changing the momentum.

Dortmund did not back down. In the 76th minute, Giarsi completed a hat trick with a right-footed shot, reigniting the spark of hope. The total score was 3-5. They closed the gap to two goals but ran out of time.

To prevent further goals, Barcelona substituted Ferran Torres and Eric García for Yamal and López in the 70th minute, stabilizing their defense. Despite Dortmund's relentless pressure, they managed to avoid conceding any more goals in the remaining time, successfully advancing to the semifinals.

Dortmund showcased an exceptional performance, winning the second leg, but the heavy defeat in the first leg held them back.

Barcelona shakes off the pain of last season's quarterfinal exit and once again seeks to claim the top spot this season.

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