Borussia Dortmund’s Disappointing 4-0 Loss to Barcelona in Champions League Quarter-Final
Borussia Dortmund’s coach, Niko Kovac, did not hold back his disappointment after his team’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday. The loss leaves Dortmund with a steep challenge ahead in next week’s second leg, with Barcelona comfortably in control.
Speaking to DAZN, Kovac admitted that his team “clearly and deservedly” lost the match. The German side’s defense was porous, with goals coming from set-pieces and three devastating counter-attacks. Kovac acknowledged that while mistakes are part of the game, the failure to make the right decisions at critical moments cost Dortmund dearly.
“We conceded a goal from a set-piece and three after a counter-attack. Three goals from counter-attacks is definitely too many. We can lose balls, that’s part of it, but then we have to make the right decisions,” Kovac said, emphasizing the importance of precision at this high level of competition.
Dortmund, who were runners-up in last season’s Champions League and have a rich European history, struggled to generate any meaningful pressure on Barcelona. One of the glaring moments came when Serhou Guirassy missed two clear chances in the first half. Kovac reflected on the missed opportunities, saying, “We had two good situations in the first half with Serhou that we at least had to finish them off in such a way that the ball was on target.”
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel also shared his frustration after the match, calling the result “very infuriating.” “We gave too much away. It wasn’t necessary to concede four goals,” Kobel remarked, voicing the collective disappointment felt within the squad.
With the Champions League being Dortmund’s last hope for silverware this season, the pressure is on for a dramatic turnaround. They are already out of the German Cup and sit in eighth place in the Bundesliga, five points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots. Midfielder Emre Can echoed Kovac’s sentiments, saying, “We definitely need to play better football at this level. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to keep the ball. Barcelona were a different level.”
Looking ahead, Dortmund faces a daunting task as they prepare for the return leg against Barcelona at home. However, before that, they will travel to Munich to take on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who will also be looking to recover after their own Champions League setback against Inter Milan.
