It was everything to win and nothing to lose when Borussia Dortmund hosted FC Barcelona on Tuesday evening. Even though Dortmund had nothing to play for except for the faint hope of an unlikely comeback, the team came out guns blazing in the first half and were rewarded after only eight minutes, when Pascal Groß was brought down in the penalty area by Wojciech Szczęsny. Dortmund piled on the pressure, and both Beier and Adeyemi had some half chances, but none of them were converted in the end. The second half couldn’t have started better, when Guirassy managed to convert Bensebaini’s expertly squared ball from Groß’ corner. Bensebaini then managed to turn himself from hero to villain, when he somehow managed to bag an own goal from a non-threatening angle after a low cross from Fermin Lopez.

After the own goal, the team looked understandably deflated—that was until Julien Duranville produced a moment of magic, going past two defenders and crossing the ball into the box. Araujo fluffed the clearance, and Guirassy pounced on the goal for his third of the night. In the end, Dortmund did everything they could, but a 4-0 deficit was just too large to overcome.

Here are my observations on top of tonight’s match:

An Extremely Strong Performance Across the Line

Make no mistake. This was one of the best Dortmund performances of the season. The team went toe-to-toe with the current best team in Europe, and for a short moment, it looked like the team could produce a miracle. Across the line, the team played very well, and even Bensebaini had a good game if we forget about the own goal. This team has often been criticized for a lack of attitude and mentality, but it really looks like Kovac has managed to make this team take themselves seriously. The trend has been going steadily upwards for the past couple of months. It’s just very unfortunate that it is too little too late in the league and a horrible draw in the Champions League. Still, I feel like the team did themselves very proud tonight, and as a fan, I am more than happy.

Introducing: S3rhou Guirassy

I find it rather frustrating that people seems to always be complaining about this guy. He’s clearly the best goalscorer Dortmund has had since Erling Haaland. He’s also very participatory in buildup, and he wins a good handful of duels. Tonight, he showed why he’s an absolute elite striker. A cooly taken penalty, a headed goal from deep inside the box and a goal on the rebound. Guirassy can seemingly find a way to goal from anywhere, and he also showed just how technical he actually is, when he almost scored that chance against Bayern last weekend. Yes, he does hold up the ball a bit too much, and yes he gets dispossessed more than your usual target man, but all the good that Guirassy brings to the table quite simply outweighs the bad—there can be no question about it. And if you want to complain about some players, you should maybe consider aiming your criticism elsewhere.

This guy dips in and out of this team, and his performances are just as inconsistent as his ability to play a full 90 minutes of football. With that said, Niklas Süle is still a very good footballer when he wants to be, and tonight he was a very strong presence besides Waldemar Anton and Ramy Bensebaini. I feel like there are still a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to Niklas Süle, but there can be no doubt that he would be a huge asset for BVB, can he stay fit and gain a bit more consistency.

Other Observations:

• Today’s match was sort of a redemption match for Waldemar Anton, who has been criticized a fair share since his arrival at BVB.
• Julien Duranville really impressed in his short cameo. He basically created the third goal from nothing.
• Kobel had very little to do in terms of saves, but he was an integral part of BVB’s play throughout the entire evening. Feels like he has turned a corner recently.

Your Thoughts?

How do you feel right now? I personally feel great! Beating Barcelona is no easy feat (they haven’t lost since December).