To have back-to-back midweeks packed with elite European action… dream stuff! April gave us that privilege once again, with the return legs of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals being played across Tuesday and Wednesday. Four big clashes, four battles on the pitch that did not, by any means, disappoint.
Only four teams now remain and will be battling it out for a spot in the grand final, set to be played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, May 31st. Let’s dive into this week’s matches to see what was going on around the greatest stages of European club football.
Borussia Dortmund 3-1 FC Barcelona – Barcelona win 5:3 on aggregate
The one that seemed to be done and dusted turned out to be the most spicy of the return legs thanks to an inspired Dortmund team carried by their faithful support of more than 80 thousand people at the Signal Iduna Park.
They put Barça under early pressure, wave after wave, and it paid off after just 11 minutes when Guirassy executed a cheeky panenka to convert a penalty won by Pascal Gross. Barcelona continued to struggle to get into their rhythm throughout the first half, and when Guirassy made it 2-0 after a corner kick four minutes into the second half, it all started reminding Barcelona fans of those traumatic nights at the Olimpico and Anfield.
However, Hansi Flick’s side showed once again that they now have what they lacked in those previous encounters – when things get really complicated, rather than crumbling under pressure, they were able to collect themselves and put up a solid period of sustained attacks to re-gain control of the game. It continued even after Bensebaini’s own goal made the score 2-1 and helped them survive the worst. Guirassy completed a hat-trick after Ronald Araújo’s gift in the box, but there wasn’t much to celebrate for Dortmund fans. Even Guirassy, who recorded a historical UCL campaign, posed with the official Player of the match trophy with watery eyes after being so close, yet ending up so far.
Despite being unable to mount a comeback, Dortmund’s fight deserves a lot of praise, as they are the first team to beat Barcelona in 2025. Even Barça’s manager, Hansi Flick, hailed his opponents by stating that he won’t “be too hard on his team after that, because it would take a lot of merit away from Dortmund”. One of the best indicators of Dortmund’s great performance could be Wojciech Szczęsny, who was put under such pressure that he, despite conceding three times, saved Barcelona from further damage.
Aston Villa 3:2 Paris Saint-Germain, PSG win 5:4 on aggregate
Villa Park was rocking once again on one of those nights it’s been waiting on for decades, a clash with the European elite for a spot in the Champions League semifinal.
A two-goal deficit? Well… it’s not quite a guarantee for PSG, and given Unai Emery‘s Euroepan CV, you wouldn’t quite write him off before a ball’s been kicked either. Many might have made that mistake when the guests from Paris went two up before the 30 minute mark.
However, John McGinn managed to pull one back before the break, and the tide shifted to favour the home team. Villa started the second half on the front foot, turned the game into a chaotic encounter and got the most of it, scoring twice in two minutes to turn the game on its head. Their pressure continued with another two or three great opportunities going to waste, and PSG looked like a rocked boxing champion clinging tightly to the ropes.
Les Parisiens, however, much like Barcelona, showed their worth even in the toughest of circumstances. They survived the pressure and got back to controlling proceedings towards the end of the game, closing out a very difficult encounter with a minimal defeat worthy of a spot in the semifinal.
Luis Enrique thus became the first manager to lead PSG into the Champions League semifinals for two consecutive seasons. Last season they fell at that hurdle, could they go all the way now?
Inter Milan 2:2 Bayern München, Inter win 4:3 on aggregate
When their fascinating first leg encounter in Munich was decided by a late, devastatingly quick Inter goal, the feeling was that it could be a huge, tie-changing factor.
And it turned out to be very true. Bayern heated the clash up with an Instagram post stating a very interesting fact: they played at the Giuseppe Meazza four times before Wednesday, and won all four of their encounters. They came very close to a fifth win, but just couldn’t edge it out. Out of all the quarterfinal clashes, this one was definitely the most tightly-contested with just details separating the two sides whose approach is very, very different, yet equally dangerous and effective.
Inter’s campaign has been quite impressive so far, as they’ve only let in five goals in all their ecntounters, three of which were scored by Bayern.
Real Madrid 1:2 Arsenal – Arsenal win 5:1 on aggregate
Remontada. The buzzword of the last week or so in the footballing world, wherever you were following it from. The mythical power of Real Madrid in the Champions League, the long, long 90 minutes at the magical Bernabéu… it was all running at full speed in order to set up another European comeback against an Arsenal side that took a huge three-goal advantage in the first leg.
However, the remontada is not something that can be completed in the media, on the streets or even in the stands, it’s something that, at the end of the day, has to happen on the pitch.
And this season, when it comes to what happens on the pitch, Real Madrid just couldn’t produce what they were producing in recent years, and it was the case again against Arsenal. Los Blancos never really got going, it was a closely-fought match in which they’ve never put Arsenal under too much pressure.
Each side scored once, and once it was clear even to the most optimistic of the Madridistas that there will be no remontada, Gabriel Martinelli made an explosive sprint to run away from Fran García and slot the ball easily past Courtois to seal another big win for the Arsenal. 4 encounters between the two giants, 3 Arsenal wins and a draw. A 100% record at the Bernabéu with two wins from two. The first one, back in 2006, a Thierry Henry masterclass. This one now, more of a team effort, signed off by Saka and Martinelli.
What’s next?
The semifinal pairings have already been determined, so we know who’s facing who in an attempt to reach the big final in Munich.
Luis Enrique and PSG will try and take care of yet another English team – given their experiences so far this season, it might not be the worst scenario. It is, however, important to remember that the two sides have already met in the league phase, and Arsenal managed to win that game 2-0 at the Emirates. It’s never easy meeting an opponent you’ve already played, but it will most definitely be an interesting battle to witness.
Barça would know a thing or two about beating opponents they’ve already met, as they played both their round of 16 and quarterfinals opponents in the league phase and won both games away from home. It was almost a case of 3/3 en route to the final, but Inter in the end prevailed and set up a mouth-watering clash. The re-run of the infamous 2010 semifinal that ended with Mourinho’s celebrations at the Camp Nou. Has the time come for a revenge or will Simone Inzaghi outsmart another one of his colleagues? We’ll get our answers pretty soon, as the first legs are played on April 29/30 and the return leg just a week later.