Barça's sweetest and luckiest defeat

Special Envoy to DortmundSix years later, Barça is once again a Champions League semi-finalist. Suffering. And tough, but Hansi Flick's team was able to overcome all possible adversities, starting with a generally poor performance, one hat trick Guirassy's defeat and the feeling that the old ghosts of Roma and Liverpool were returning. But yesterday wasn't the day. Luck sided with the Blaugrana team, and between a second-half own goal from Bensebaini and the safety net of the first leg, qualification was possible (3-1, 3-5 on aggregate).

It's obvious. If they had to miss out after four months, they'd have been in Dortmund. But the problem is that Barça didn't understand what the game needed. Yesterday wasn't a day to go out and win desperately. Nor was it a day to lock themselves in at the back and hang on the crossbar. They had to play with tempo, have possession, make Dortmund lose their nerve, make them rush. Make the four goals from the first leg count and win the psychological game. And they didn't achieve any of this. Until luck sided with the Blaugranas and the own goal arrived, the match was a festival of absurd losses from the first minute, of inaccuracies with the ball at their feet, of lack of coordination between the lines, and of players mysteriously disappearing or being distracted.

Flick surprised with his starting eleven, pairing Gavi and Fermín in midfield. The team lacked a strong following and broke down easily. They were unable to play the ball for long periods of time, or to create possession that calmed the mood. Lewandowski tried to help by dropping back, while Lamine Yamal and Rapihnha couldn't break down the wings when they received the ball. It was unusual to see Lamine, a player with extraordinary individual talent, miss so many seemingly simple plays and passes. He improved slightly in the second half, but not enough to end up being substituted.

Dortmund believed it thanks to Barça.

It wasn't a day with much of a comeback mood in Dortmund. The 4-0 scoreline weighed on the fans, who filled the stadium more out of enthusiasm than conviction. But the Barça start was so weak that—you're treating me to a wedding—everyone began to believe it. Guirassy missed a clear first chance, but not the second, which put the German team ahead from the penalty spot. A clumsy penalty from Szczesny, who once again showed he can be good at many things but can be seen when he has to make an emergency exit from between the posts. With the score at 1-0, the ghosts reappeared. And the second goal, right at the start of the second half, put everyone on high alert.

The disconnection was general. At times, it seemed as if they'd been given a rugby ball rather than a soccer ball. The first shot on target, a timid one, came from Kounde on the half-hour mark. The French full-back also suffered some lapses and marking errors; as did Araujo, who was once again very weak with the ball at his feet; and De Jong, who failed to impose himself as a pivot. Nothing worked. Not even the referee, who set the bar very high with fouls and fueled the German effervescence. It wasn't an imperial Barça like in the first leg. It was a restrained Barça, completely overwhelmed by the situation for many minutes. This was also the case in the divided balls, where players sometimes put their feet out of fear.

The key moment of the match, Bensebaini's goal

The best news was having such a poor game and only trailing by two goals. Bensebaini's play was decisive. Pedri, who replaced Gavi, provided a stability that hadn't existed until then.

Those were Barça's best moments. Obsessed with being the Champions League's top scorer, he wanted to finish plays alone when his teammates were better positioned. Barça was once again a mess. Flick tried to tear the team apart with substitutions.