Dortmund players lament ‘gut-wrenching’ first-leg defeat to Barcelona after inability to close the gap

Serhou Guirassy, the Borussia Dortmund striker, has stated that his team has ultimately sealed their fate due to a disappointing performance in the first leg against Barcelona last week, even though they delivered a much more convincing display in their 3-1 victory at home on Tuesday.

After falling behind 4-0 from the first leg, Guirassy offered Dortmund a faint hope by converting an early penalty, and he added a second goal shortly after the break.

However, an own goal effectively put the tie in Barcelona’s favour, despite Guirassy completing his hat-trick with just 14 minutes remaining.

“They’re a fantastic team, and we’re a great team too, as we demonstrated today. It’s unfortunate that the gap from the first leg was too significant,” Guirassy remarked to Amazon Prime.

Guirassy has now tallied 13 goals in the Champions League this season, making him the competition’s leading scorer, as well as setting a new club record.

“It’s fantastic to be the top scorer in the Champions League; there are many exceptional players. Being in first place also reflects my ability as a scorer, but I can’t do it without the support of the team.”

Dortmund defender Niklas Sule, who lifted the Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich in 2020, concurred, stating, “We messed things up in the first leg… the performance in Barcelona was simply not good enough.”

There was a chance for Dortmund to reduce the deficit to 4-1 with a goal from Julian Brandt in the dying minutes, but it was ruled out for offside, allowing Barcelona to progress with a 5-3 aggregate scoreline.

“I believe it would have made for an exciting final 10 minutes,” said Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross.

“We played until the very end to demonstrate our belief, hoping to inspire the crowd to believe as well.

“We’re out due to that disappointing match in Barcelona, but it’s clear that we’re capable of matching them step for step.”