Barcelona hit Dortmund for four in Champions League quarterfinal

Barcelona set sights on Champions League progress with 4-0 home win in quarterfinal first leg against Borussia Dortmund.

Barcelona claimed a commanding 4-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice and Raphinha recorded a goal and an assist on Wednesday, leaving the Catalan club in a strong position to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2019.

Lamine Yamal also scored as Barcelona dealt a hammer blow to the German side’s hopes of advancing.

The return match is next Tuesday at Dortmund, who were last year’s runners-up in the final against Barcelona’s fierce rivals, Real Madrid.

“We played very well, but we can’t be thinking about the semifinals yet,” Lewandowski said. “We scored four goals at home, but we still have the return leg to play.”

Raphinha added to his Champions League-leading tally by poking the ball into the open net in the 25th minute for his 12th goal in the competition this season. He then helped set up Lewandowski’s first goal of the night in the 48th.

Lewandowski scored his 11th Champions League goal with a one-timer in the 66th before Yamal closed the scoring in the 77th.

The 36-year-old Lewandowski has scored 14 Champions League goals after the age of 35, two more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lewandowski had scored 17 of his 105 career goals in the Champions League for Dortmund over three seasons, from 2011-14.

The Polish striker, who is also the Spanish league’s leading scorer this season with 25 goals, has 40 goals this season.

“In my head, I always want to be helping the team with my quality and my goals,” Lewandowski said. “A striker always needs to be thinking about scoring goals, and when the team plays well, it becomes easier for me.”

Raphinha has scored in each of Barcelona’s last four Champions League knockout stage matches, with seven goals in that span.

He entered the match with 11 goals, one more than Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane.

Also Wednesday in the quarterfinals, a wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia upstaged a brilliant curling shot from teammate Desire Doue as Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3-1.