FC Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Dortmund: Giant leap forward

There’s still the second leg to come in Germany, but FC Barcelona already have one foot in the Champions League semi-final after their display in Wednesday’s first leg, especially in the second half, utterly overwhelmed Borussia Dortmund.

Already leading thanks to Raphinha at the break, goals from Robert Lewandowski (2) and Lamine Yamal completed an astonishing evening’s work at the Estadi Olimpic, and although there are still another 90 minutes to played next Tuesday (9pm CEST), Barça fans can rightfully feel confident that they’ll be facing either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich for a place in the Munich final.

Deserved lead

There could be no arguing that Barça fully deserved their 25th minute opener. Other than one isolated Dortmund counter-attack it had been a constant monologue of blaugrana pressure and chances before Gregor Kobel was finally beaten.

Pau Cubarsí turned an Iñigo Martinez header goalward, and it was already going in before Raphinha ushered it over the line. As he had come from a possible offside position, that final touch could have proved very costly, but VAR confirmed that there was nothing to worry about.

The goal stood, and Barça were worthily off the mark. 1-0.

Lewy punishes former club

Dortmund were looking like a team that was thinking more of the second leg at Signal Iduna Park, but after conceding they slowly got more and more proactive. Their main man up front, Serhou Guirassy, had a couple of very good chances in the build-up to a half-time whistle that came at a convenient time for home interests.

The interval certainly did break the Borussia momentum. Mere moments after the sides were back out, Barça doubled their lead. It was Lamine Yamal’s immaculate cross that created it, Raphinha got a nod and Lewandowski was at the far post to head the ball home.

The Pole’s 28th goal against his former club, but the first in the Champions League, and that was 2-0.

Running away

The Estadi Olimpic was in party mode and the eleven men on the pitch were the life and soul of it. Dortmund were being washed away by champagne football and the third goal always looked like it was coming.

Fermín López, moments after skimming one off the post, laid up Lewandowski and bang.

3-0 is a big win. 4-0 is a rout. And that’s what we had on 77 minutes. Dortmund were desperately trying to salvage something to cling onto when this tie resumes next week, but got caught by a blistering counter-attack. Lamine Yamal, who had been his awesome self all evening, was the man at the spearhead, and a delicate conversion had the 49,760-strong crowd jumping for joy yet again.

Allowed to dream

And Raphinha’s pass for that goal was his 19th goal involvement of the campaign (12 goals and seven assists), equalling Leo Messi’s all-time tournament record from 2011-12.

Dortmund gave it one last bash. And late chances they had, including one disallowed goal for offside, but Barça were defending as perfectly as they were attacking and Wojciech Szczesny's sheet stayed clean.

Next up it’s Leganés on Saturday in La Liga, another competition that is looking very, very sweet for Barça right now. And we’re in the Copa del Rey Final too.

Did someone just say treble? Sshh… But as Hansi Flick has said, we’re allowed to dream.