Football fans were treated to an exciting night in the UEFA Champions League as two intense quarter-final second-leg matches took place. Borussia Dortmund hosted Barcelona in Germany, while Aston Villa welcomed Paris Saint-Germain to Villa Park. Both matches delivered drama, goals, and passionate performances, but in the end, the aggregate scores told the full story. Here’s a detailed look at each match.
Borussia Dortmund 3–1 FC Barcelona (Aggregate: 3–5)
Borussia Dortmund came into the match with a mountain to climb after losing the first leg 4–0 to Barcelona. Playing at home in the famous Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund needed a miracle to qualify for the semi-finals. Despite their 3–1 win on the night, it wasn’t enough, and Barcelona progressed on a 5–3 aggregate score.
Dortmund started the match full of energy and determination. Their striker Serhou Guirassy gave them an early lifeline in the 11th minute when he scored from the penalty spot after a foul by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. The German side kept pushing, and Guirassy doubled the lead in the 35th minute, finishing calmly to make it 2–0 before halftime.
In the second half, Dortmund continued to believe. Guirassy completed his hat-trick in the 63rd minute, scoring his third goal of the match and putting Dortmund 3–0 up on the night. At this point, they were just one goal away from leveling the tie.
However, their hopes were shattered in the 54th minute when Ramy Bensebaini, trying to clear the ball, accidentally scored an own goal. This gave Barcelona a crucial away goal. That meant Dortmund now needed three more goals to win the tie, which proved too much to ask.
Despite winning the match 3–1 and delivering an impressive performance for their fans, Dortmund were eliminated from the Champions League due to the heavy loss in the first leg. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals, helped by the strong lead they built at home.
Aston Villa 3–2 Paris Saint-Germain (Aggregate: 4–5)
At Villa Park in England, Aston Villa played one of their most spirited matches of the season. Having lost the first leg 2–0 in Paris, they needed a strong performance to turn things around. Although Villa won 3–2 on the night, it was not enough, and Paris Saint-Germain advanced with a 5–3 aggregate score.
The match started with PSG showing their attacking power. In the 11th minute, Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Just 12 minutes later, Nuno Mendes added a second for the French champions in the 23rd minute. At this point, PSG were 4–0 ahead on aggregate, and many thought the tie was over.
But Aston Villa had other plans. In the 34th minute, Youri Tielemans gave the home fans hope with a goal to make it 2–1 on the night. Villa came out after halftime with renewed energy, and in the 49th minute, John McGinn scored to cut the aggregate to 4–2. Just two minutes later, in the 51st minute, Ezri Konsa scored again to make it 3–2 on the night and 4–3 on aggregate.
Villa were now just one goal away from forcing extra time. They pushed hard, and Konsa came close again with a header that went just wide. The English side continued to attack, creating several chances, but they couldn’t find the goal that would take the match to extra time.
In the end, despite their brave effort and a great win on the night, Villa were eliminated from the Champions League. PSG’s early goals and their first-leg advantage were enough to carry them through to the semi-finals.
Both Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa showed courage and heart in their second-leg matches. They won their games and gave their fans something to cheer about, but the damage done in the first leg was too much to overcome. Barcelona and PSG, with their experience and quality, managed the ties well and earned their spots in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
These matches reminded everyone why football is loved worldwide – the passion, the fight, the goals, and the unforgettable drama.
