Barcelona delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice against his former club to give the Catalan side a strong advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in Germany.
Unbeaten since late December and chasing a treble, Barca asserted control early on and broke the deadlock in the 25th minute through Raphinha. Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept the visitors in contention with a series of crucial saves for the remainder of the first half.
Barcelona came out with renewed intensity after the break, doubling their lead just three minutes in when Raphinha set up Lewandowski, who headed in from close range.
The Polish striker struck again in the 66th minute with a powerful finish from inside the box before Lamine Yamal sealed the dominant win in the 77th minute.
“I think we played very well, but we are not thinking about the semi-finals yet. We must keep the same focus and mentality that have brought us here so far,” Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
“It doesn’t matter where we play or what the game is, we always want to play our football with the same commitment.
“Our mindset is always to go for the win, and that is how we will approach the match in Dortmund. We have to go there and perform as well as we did today—or even better.”
Barcelona extended their incredible unbeaten run to 23 matches across all competitions and remain the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to lose in 2025. They continue their pursuit of a treble, leading La LaLiga by four points over Real Madrid, whom they will face in the Copa del Rey final on April 26.
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona have netted 36 goals in 11 Champions League matches and 145 in 48 competitive games, thanks to their lethal attacking trio of Lewandowski, Yamal, and Raphinha.
On Wednesday, Kobel managed to deny Lewandowski and Yamal from close range, but he was helpless when Raphinha smashed one home in the 26th minute.
After halftime, Yamal made a brilliant run down the right before lofting a cross to the back post, where Raphinha headed it across goal for an unmarked Lewandowski to nod in from mere centimetres out.
Lewandowski later made it 3-0 with a powerful strike, and Yamal capped off the rout with a composed finish from a quick counterattack.
“It’s a very tough defeat,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac told Movistar Plus.
“We expected more, but we have to be fair—Barca are a great team. Today, they punished every mistake we made. They are incredibly clinical in attack.”
