Barcelona still improving, says Hansi Flick after his side demolish Dortmund in Champions League

BARCELONA – Barcelona coach Hansi Flick warned their Champions League rivals his team are still looking to raise their levels after a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund on April 9.

The Catalan side gave themselves a huge advantage in the quarter-finals with the first-leg domination of the 2024 runners-up at the Olympic Stadium. Robert Lewandowski netted twice against his old club after Raphinha opened the scoring, with Lamine Yamal wrapping up the win.

“I want to keep improving, today we saw some points we can improve on,” said Flick, who was quick to silence suggestions that his side had already booked their place in the semi-finals against either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan.

“We will analyse this game and I will tell the players they did very well, but there are still things to improve. I’m very happy with the result today, but it’s just the first step.

“We are definitely not qualified yet! You never know what’s going to happen because football is just a crazy sport. To advance, we have to play in Dortmund like we did today without making mistakes. We played very well and, when you play like that, you score goals, which is what happened.”

Scoring does not seem to be an issue for the La Liga outfit, who are the competition’s top scorers with 36 goals, thanks to their dynamic attacking trio.

“(Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha) are brilliant and very important for us, but so is our defence and those who come in from the bench,” Flick said.

“They have been showing that they can quickly make an impact and reach the same level as those who were on the pitch from the start. At this point of the season, with this schedule, it’s so important that we keep all the legs fresh. So the team’s depth is key.”

Barcelona have enjoyed an incredible 23-game unbeaten run across all competitions. They are the only team in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025 and are in the running to win three titles.

They predictably dominated the opening stages and grabbed the lead following Raphinha’s strike in the 25th minute. It was his 12th Champions League goal of the season and he is the top scorer in the competition.

The Brazil forward went on to provide two assists to bring his direct goal contributions this season in Europe to 19, equalling former Barca great Lionel Messi’s record for the club.

“I always thought he’s an extraordinary player... the team is set on his shoulders, his dynamism,” said German coach Flick.

A string of saves from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel frustrated Barca for the remainder of the first half. Barcelona emerged more determined following the break and it took them only three minutes to score the second.

Yamal made an impressive run from the right wing before lifting a cross towards the back post for Raphinha to head back across goal, leaving an unmarked Lewandowski to nod over the line.

After that, Dortmund succumbed to Barca’s power and, following Fermin Lopez’s effort off the post, Lewandowski extended their lead with a bullet strike from just inside the box in the 66th minute and Yamal made it 4-0 with a tidy finish from a quick counter-attack in the 77th minute.

“We played very well, but we are not thinking about the semi-finals yet. We must keep the same focus and mentality that have brought us here so far,” Polish striker Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.

“It doesn’t matter where we play and what game it is, we always want to play our football with the same commitment. Our mindset is always going for the win and that is how we will play at Dortmund. We have to go there and play as well as we did today or even better.”

Dortmund coach Niko Kovac was disappointed with the Bundesliga side’s performance.

“It was a deserved defeat (but) we could have got a goal, as we all know the return leg will be very difficult,” said the Croat.

“I am optimistic, but I have to be a realist... it was a very big result, our chances of going through are minimal. We know it will be difficult, but we have to have a spark of hope, because without that spark it will be impossible.”

Captain Emre Can, visibly frustrated, was more scathing in his assessment, telling Dazn: “It’s not a question of system but rather of whether everyone is willing to give 100 per cent and make the sacrifices required in games like this.

“Too many things went wrong in the game. We didn’t play well today. We were soft. We weren’t cohesive enough. And on top of that, we made simple mistakes.”
AFP, REUTERS