Coach Hansi Flick encourages his players after Barca lost 1-3 to Dortmund. Photo: Getty Images. |
Serhou Guirassy's hat-trick not only ended Barcelona's 24-match unbeaten run since the start of 2025, but also made the match at Signal Iduna Park tense until the last minute.
However, with a 4-0 win in the first leg, the Catalan team overcame Dortmund with a 5-3 aggregate score to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
"I think everyone recognises and appreciates what the team has done this season," coach Flick said at a press conference when asked about the negative reaction to the match result. "Today was not our best match. I understand the skepticism. But we still have reasons to be happy."
Coach Flick revealed: “In the dressing room, no player was happy. It was only when I told them: 'Hey guys, we are in the Champions League semi-finals' that the atmosphere improved a bit. The players always have very high expectations for themselves. They want to win every match. So today, even though they went through, they were still disappointed."
Barca ended their 24-match unbeaten streak. Photo: Getty Images. |
In the second leg, coach Flick rested Pedri and Inigo Martinez, while Alejandro Balde was absent due to injury. With the advantage of the bustling atmosphere from the home stadium, Dortmund entered the match with great enthusiasm.
Guirassy opened the scoring for Dortmund early from the penalty spot, then headed in a second goal just after the break, fueling hopes of a comeback.
A Ramy Bensebaini own goal then seemed to end any hopes, but Guirassy completed his hat-trick to rekindle the hosts' hopes. However, Barca eventually held firm.
Coach Flick affirmed that his team deserved to go through: "We played two matches. We won 4-0 in the first leg and lost 1-3 in the second leg. I think we deserved to go to the semi-finals. Dortmund made it difficult for us, the atmosphere in the stadium was extraordinary. But we overcame it."
"We will need to analyse this game in more detail, but I understand that after a series of games, it is normal to have a drop in form. I am very satisfied with the team's overall performance this season. We still have three fronts: La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, and reaching the semi-finals is a great success."
After this match, Barcelona will return to La Liga with two home matches against Celta Vigo and Mallorca, in an effort to maintain a four-point lead at the top of the rankings.
They will face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 26. Centre-back Jules Kounde insists the team needs to quickly correct the mistakes they made in Dortmund.
"I'm happy to be in the semi-finals, but I'm not happy with the way we played today," Kounde said. "We played below our potential, made mistakes and lost focus. Coach Flick reminded us at half-time and we improved a bit in the second half. We need to continue doing the things that have brought us success since the beginning of the season."
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Source: https://tienphong.vn/hlv-hansi-flick-khong-ai-vui-noi-du-barcelona-da-vao-ban-ket-post1734130.tpo
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