UCL: Barcelona edges Dortmund 3-2 to secure knockout spot

Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League knockout stage with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Substitute Ferran Torres made the difference, scoring twice in a 10-minute span to seal the win.

The match came alive in the second half, with Raphinha breaking the deadlock in the 53rd minute, capitalizing on a Dani Olmo pass during a counterattack.

Dortmund quickly responded as Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty seven minutes later to level the score.

Torres, replacing an ineffective Robert Lewandowski, restored Barcelona’s lead in the 75th minute by slotting in a rebound. However, Guirassy struck again to equalize, setting up a tense finale.

In the dying minutes, Lamine Yamal orchestrated a swift counter, finding Torres, who fired past Gregor Kobel to secure Barcelona’s win.

The victory not only ensures Barcelona a playoff spot but also strengthens their bid for direct qualification to the last 16. For Dortmund, the defeat marked their first home loss of the season, leaving them ninth in the Champions League table.

Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin, dealing with injuries, fielded a youthful lineup, giving 18-year-old Julien Duranville his debut and starting Gio Reyna for the first time this season.

Despite the energy and creativity from the young squad, Dortmund struggled to capitalize on early chances, with Marcel Sabitzer missing a key opportunity in the first half.

Barcelona’s resilience and clinical finishing proved decisive, leaving Dortmund still searching for their first-ever win over the Catalan giants in five attempts.

The visitors’ high defensive line was a pre-game target for Dortmund but the hosts were caught out early in the second half when Olmo put Raphinha in acres of space, allowing the captain to calmly dribble goalwards and slot a low shot home.

Pau Cubarsi gave Dortmund a sniff shortly after Barcelona took the lead, pushing Guirassy to the turf in the box and giving away an unnecessary penalty, which the Guinean converted.

Dortmund began played with renewed confidence but Barcelona struck on the counter, Torres slotting in a rebound after Kobel parried Fermin Lopez’s volley.

The lead lasted three minutes as Yan Couto spotted an on-rushing Pascal Gross, with the former Brighton midfielder passing to Guirassy who rolled into an empty net after Inaki Pena came charging out of his area.

Barcelona snatched their fifth win in six games in Europe though as Yamal played in Torres, who atoned for a poor first touch by hammering low into the corner five minutes from time.