That’s a Champions League shock! After a very rhythmic but scoreless first period, Barça ended up defeating Borussia Dortmund who managed to equalize twice through Serhou Guirassy (3-2). The Catalans are alone in 2nd while BVB is at the gates of the Top 8.
The yellow wall of Signal Iduna Park facing the Blaugrana parking lot of the last 15 years: for the atmosphere, everything was there for this Borussia Dortmund–FC Barcelona. On the pitch too, expectations were met with a match that the Culés ended up winning, at the end of an epic second period (3-2).
No goal but not a second of respite
After a first foray from Borussen which resulted in a corner (2nd), Barça took control of the ball to chain the chances. Dani Olmovery leggy, turned left on Raphinha who shifted Alejandro Balde whose center crossed the surface without finding a taker (4th). Lamine Yamal then looked for Raphinha at the far post but Gregor Köbel deflected the ball just enough to frustrate the Brazilian (5th). Lamine Yamal tried his luck twice (7th and 11th) before delivering a cross from the outside of the left for Raphinha who cut with the outside while tackling, without hitting target (14th). Just before that, despite an offside of Serhou Guirassy obvious but not reported, Marcel Sabitzer was perfectly found behind the surface before stumbling upon Iñaki Peña (9e).
On a lawn where he knows the two dividing surfaces better than anyone, Robert Lewandowski tried from afar but his shot was off-center (16th).
It didn’t stop! Right, Julien Duranville overwhelmed Baldé before centering on Sabitzer who sent the ball well over (17th).
The response did not wait. Following a center of Jules KoundéLamine Yamal imposed himself to recover the second ball to try his luck, pushing Kobel to relax (21st). After a more choppy sequence, the duo stood out again: after a heel from the Frenchman, the Spaniard saw his shot blocked by Bensebaïni frames (34th). Koundé himself tried to find the fault, well placed after an unsteady clearance from Sabitzer but Kobel repelled the danger (36th).
Barça’s defensive play was always on the razor’s edge with the offside line. John Reyna (31st), and especially Guirassy (41st and 45th+1) were victims. The BVB official scorer hoped for a penalty after contact with Inigo Martinez but François Letexier did not flinch (42nd).
A phenomenal second period
There was quickly talk of offside in the second half. On an opening on the left side of Reyna, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens escaped after a relay from Sabitzer and offered an impeccable cross to Guirassy who did not have time to take advantage because the assistant referee’s flag rose (50th).
Three minutes later, after a technical feat from Olmo and a perfect pass to launch Raphinha, Barça opened the scoring and the VAR confirmed that the Blaugrana captain was indeed in a legal position for a few centimeters (53rd).
The Culés took the advantage but did not enjoy it for long. Beaten by Guirassy on a cross from the right, Pau Cubarsi pushed the Guinean international and provoked as logical as it was avoidable. The victim became the executioner to transform the sentence (60th).
The outcome of the match was more uncertain than ever. After Lamine Yamal was pushed on the right side, Koundé took the opportunity to cross on Raphinha who, in turn, shifted Olmo. The Catalan’s shot was repelled by Kobel and Lewandowski, on the rebound, saw his shot blocked for a corner (70th).
Hansi Flick then made a triple change, launching Frenkie de Jong, Fermin Lopez et Ferran Torres to take over from Raphinha, Olmo and Lewandowski (71st). Nuri Sahin replied: Donyell Malen et Pascal Gross for Duranville and Reyna (73rd).
But it was the new Blaugrana newcomers who emerged. After a new breakthrough orchestrated by Koundé and Lamine Yamal, the Frenchman chiseled a cross for Fermín who slammed a powerful volley that Kobel pushed back on Ferran, alone to push deep (75th).
Everything accelerated. Winner of his running duel with Koundé, Bynoe-Gittens found Guirassy who missed the target (77th). The native of Arles caught up a few moments later. Came in at the break, Yan Couto launched Gross who took advantage of a huge defensive error by Culés who should not have gone offside at that moment. The former Brighton player anticipated Peña’s desperate exit to slip to Guirassy who scored a double (78th).
The Borussen had the wind at their backs although attacking in front of the yellow wall which was screaming. Nico Schlotterbeck celebrated a tackle on Lamine Yamal before Malen stumbled on Peña before being flagged offside (84th). BVB were going to make Barça fold but after a lost ball in the last Catalan third, Lamine Yamal fixed the defense before offering a gem of a ball in the interval to Ferran who took all his time to cross his shot from the right (85th).
Dortmund went on the attack again, convinced that they could come back to score a third time. There was an unscrewed attempt from Bynoe-Gittens (89th), a tackle from Koundé, a header from Cubarsí then a final helmet hit from Schlotterbeck on a final free kick (90th+5) but nothing worked.
With this success, Barça moves to 2nd place in the ranking, while BVB is now 9th, one point behind 6 tied clubs including Brest (7th) and Lille (8th).
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