Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund accomplished something unprecedented in 2025 — securing a victory against Barcelona, a feat unmatched by any other team; however, this achievement ultimately proved insufficient to advance them to the Champions League semifinals.

Even though Guirassy scored three goals, his team lost because Dortmund's 3-1 win against Barcelona was not enough to change the total score of 5-3.

Having suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat in the initial leg of the quarterfinal, Dortmund had no constraints on Tuesday and launched an aggressive assault on Barcelona from the outset, unsettling their opponents.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, experienced from his time in the German league at facing and defeating Dortmund, admitted that the fervent home support led him to anticipate a challenging second leg despite his team's substantial four-goal advantage.

Flick commented to broadcaster Amazon Prime, "I had a subtle inkling that such an outcome was imminent. Today, credit is due to Dortmund for their formidable performance, and equally, commendations to my squad for reaching the semifinals."

Barcelona's typically prolific forwards, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who had amassed 12 and 11 Champions League goals respectively this season, endured an uncharacteristically subdued match. Their most promising opportunity to find the net was a rather meek attempt by Raphinha directly at Dortmund's goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel.

Following a match that solidified his burgeoning reputation and positioned him atop the Champions League scoring charts for the current season, coach Niko Kovac lauded Guirassy as Dortmund's vital asset, stating: "Like any forward, Serhou requires the backing of his colleagues, and that was evident today."

Dortmund had arguably jeopardized their position in the quarterfinal during the first leg, and to compound matters, captain Emre Can and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka were sidelined with injuries earlier that day.

For a period, Guirassy appeared capable of achieving the seemingly impossible.

Having squandered opportunities in the initial match and forfeited a couple more early in Tuesday's game, Guirassy nonetheless converted a penalty in the 11th minute after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny collided with Pascal Gross.

Guirassy's header extended the lead to 2-0 in the 49th minute, compounded by a Ramy Bensebaini own goal that significantly complicated Dortmund's prospects. Fermín López's low cross deflected in off Bensebaini's ankle, a double blow for Dortmund given the defender's pivotal role in their attempted resurgence, having assisted Guirassy's second goal moments earlier.

Guirassy took advantage of Ronald Araujo's mistake in defense to score his third goal in the 76th minute with a strong shot from close range. This made him the top scorer in the Champions League this season with 13 goals.

This result instilled in Dortmund renewed optimism for achieving one of the most remarkable Champions League turnarounds in history, comparable to Barcelona's against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, though Barcelona ultimately secured their advancement.

Barcelona is set to face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals, marking their first appearance in the Champions League final four since the 2018-19 campaign. Concurrently, in Tuesday's other fixture, PSG secured their semifinal berth with a 5-4 aggregate victory over Aston Villa, notwithstanding a 3-2 defeat in the second leg.

In addition to marking Barcelona's initial defeat across all tournaments since a 2-1 loss against Atletico Madrid on Dec. 21, this result represented Barcelona's first Champions League setback since September, and merely the seventh defeat during Flick's fifty matches at the helm. The German manager had secured victory in all seven of his prior encounters with Dortmund while overseeing Barcelona and Bayern.

Dortmund might face a protracted wait before the Champions League anthem resonates within its stadium once more.

Last year's Champions League finalist sits eighth in the Bundesliga with five fixtures left, trailing the four Champions League qualification spots by six points.