Barcelona put on a spectacular show at the Camp Nou, dominating Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
The star of the night was Raphinha, who not only scored twice but also assisted two more goals, reaching 19 goal involvements in the competition.
This impressive feat was last achieved by Lionel Messi during the 2011-12 season, and now Raphinha has matched that remarkable record.
Raphinha’s Contribution Leads the Charge
Raphinha’s performance was key to Barcelona’s comprehensive victory.
The Brazilian winger opened the scoring in the 25th minute, staying calm and composed as he slid the ball home from close range.
His contributions didn’t stop there.
After Robert Lewandowski added two more goals in the second half, Raphinha set up Lamine Yamal for the fourth goal, essentially sealing the tie with 13 minutes still to play.
Missed Chances Haunt Dortmund
Despite Barcelona’s dominance, Borussia Dortmund had their fair share of chances early in the game.
Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy both had opportunities to put the visitors in front, but they were denied by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and some solid defending.
Those missed chances would prove costly as Barcelona took control, with Lewandowski’s goal coming from a header by Raphinha after a well-timed cross from Yamal.
Defensive Solidity and Missed Hopes for Dortmund
Even though Dortmund continued to press, Barcelona stood firm in defense.
Substitutes like Ronald Araujo played a crucial role, making two crucial blocks to maintain the clean sheet.
Dortmund’s hope of pulling one back was dashed when Maximilian Beier thought he had scored, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Looking Ahead to the Return Leg
Barcelona will now head to Germany for the second leg of the quarter-final on April 15, with a commanding 4-0 lead.
While Dortmund will need a near-perfect performance to overturn such a deficit, Barcelona’s balanced attack and resilient defense leave them in a strong position to advance.