Despite losing their respective games, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) advanced to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, thanks to thrilling second-leg matches.​
Borussia Dortmund defeated FC Barcelona 3-1 at Signal Iduna Park after a fierce performance. The most notable player was Serhou Guirassy, who scored goals in the eleventh, forty-nineth, and seventieth minutes to complete a hat-trick. Despite this outstanding performance, Dortmund was unable to overcome the 4-0 deficit from the first leg, and Barcelona won 5–3 on aggregate. ​
Ramy Bensebaini of Dortmund scored an own goal in the 54th minute, which was vital because it gave Barcelona the away goal they needed to keep their lead in the aggregate. Barcelona advanced to their first Champions League semifinal since 2019, but this game was their first loss in 25 games in all competitions. ​
Aston Villa made an incredible comeback at Villa Park, defeating PSG 3–2 that evening. Following early goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mende that increased PSG’s aggregate lead, goals from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Ezri Konsa gave Villa hope.
Villa’s efforts and a passionate home crowd didn’t stop PSG from winning 5–4 overall and moving on to the semifinals. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the goalkeeper, made a number of vital saves that helped PSG maintain their lead. ​
These outcomes put FC Barcelona and PSG in the running for the semifinals. Barcelona will play the victor of the match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, while PSG will wait to see how Real Madrid and Arsenal play out. ​
The second-leg matches for the remaining quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
0 Comments