Lamine Yamal produced a late goal to crown an outstanding performance for Barcelona as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski also scored in a 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Lewandowski scored twice in the second half to take his Champions League tally for the season to 11, after Raphinha, the competition’s leading scorer with one more, had given the Spanish hosts the lead on 25 minutes.
Yamal collected Raphinha’s assist to complete the rout on 77 minutes as the Catalan club put paid to any hopes Niko Kovac’s side may have had of a second successive Champions League final appearance.
The two teams meet again next week in what will be a formality of a second leg in Dortmund.
09:53 PM BST
FT: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
That’s it. A very accomplished win from a ruthless Barcelona side.
Had Dortmund been wearing their shooting boots they might have made it closer but the Spanish side were worthy winners and their three-man front line devastating.
Thanks for following and see you next time.
09:51 PM BST
89mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
GOOAAALLL! Max Beier!!!
No GOAL!
Dortmund have been knocking at the door in a frantic last three minutes and looked to have salvaged a fragment of pride when Beier finally beat Szczęsny. But it’s not their night. The flag goes up because Duranville, inexplicably, was offside.
09:49 PM BST
88mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
Ooooh! How did that not go in?
Dortmund desperately try to get on the scoresheet but Araújo makes two superb blocks to keep out the luckless Reyna.
09:47 PM BST
86mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
Subs:
Lamine Yamal OFF
Ansu Fati ON
And Yamal, quite rightly, gets a standing ovation. That won’t be the last one he receives in his glittering career.
09:45 PM BST
84mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
Late rally from Dortmund. Too late.
Szczęsny makes a fine save to turn Süle’s improvised volley over the crossbar.
09:44 PM BST
81mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
Subs:
Robert Lewandowski OFF
Ferran Torres ON
Iñigo Martínez OFF
Ronald Araújo ON
Pedri OFF
Eric García ON
09:37 PM BST
77mins: Barcelona 4 Borussia Dortmund 0
GOAAALLLL!! Lamine Yamal gets in on the act!
Another counter-attack from Barcelona and Raphinha plays in Yamal, who dispatches the most casual of toe-pokes to send the ball past Kobel.
09:32 PM BST
74mins: Barcelona 3 Borussia Dortmund 0
Subs:
Fermin Lopes OFF
Gavi ON
Yellow card: Guirassy
09:32 PM BST
67mins: Barcelona 3 Borussia Dortmund 0
Subs:
Carney Chukwuemeka OFF
Giovanni Reina ON
Felix Nmecha OFF
Salih Ozkan ON
09:29 PM BST
67mins: Barcelona 3 Borussia Dortmund 0
That was a frighteningly fast counter-attack from Barcelona, beautiful in its simplicity.
This is becoming a rout!
09:24 PM BST
66mins: Barcelona 3 Borussia Dortmund 0
GOAAAALLL!!!
Robert Lewandowski scores his second.
Dortmund give the ball away in their own area and Barcelona launch a lightning counter-attack.
Ferrin Lopes plays a one-two with Yamal, whose pass arcs perfectly into Lopes’s path down the right channel.
Dortmund’s defenders are reeling and can’t keep up and Lopes picks out Lewandowski who rifles low into the net.
09:23 PM BST
62mins: Barcelona 2 Borussia Dortmund 0
Oooohhh!
Lopez hits the post!
Can gives the ball away to Pedri on the edge of the box and Pedri finds Lopes, whose right-footed shot pings off the outside of the left upright.
09:18 PM BST
59mins: Barcelona 2 Borussia Dortmund 0
If Dortmund aren’t careful this could become a hockey score.
They need to stop giving the ball away cheaply in midfield, which clearly is easier said than done.
09:16 PM BST
55mins: Barcelona 2 Borussia Dortmund 0
It’s all Barcelona now and Yamal is putting on a masterclass.
He truly is a talent of unique quality.
He always seems to play the right pass.
Still only 17.
09:06 PM BST
48mins: Barcelona 2 Borussia Dortmund 0
GOAAAALLL! Robert Lewandowski.
Sloppy play by Dortmund in the middle of the park gifts the ball to Pedri, who plays Yamal down the right flank.
He crosses to the far post to Raphinha who looks set to head in, but the angle is tight and so he unselfishly heads the ball across goal and Lewandowski has the easiest of close-range headers into the roof of the net.
Dortmund will be so disappointed to concede so early in the half. It came moments after Jamie Gittens had fired narrowly wide.
That’s 10 for Lewandowski in the Champions League. He and Raphinha have 22 combined!
09:05 PM BST
46mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Subs:
Max Beier ON
Karim Adeyemi OFF
09:04 PM BST
HT: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Impressive half by Barcelona who deservedly lead but Dortmund have carved out good chances and will think they should at least be level.
08:47 PM BST
44 mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Dortmund have been utterly dominated but they will rue their missed chances from Guirassy.
Adeyemi plays a wonderful cross from the left and Guirassy just has to get a foot on it, but somehow he misses it. It looked like he took his eye off it at the moment of truth.
Indeed Guirassy completes the set by shooting into the side-netting albeit from a tight angle.
You can see how he is a threat, and if Barcelona aren’t careful he’ll be catching Raphinha’s goal tally.
08:43 PM BST
39 mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Dortmund get forward and carve out two scoring chances. The first falls to Chukwuemeka, whose shot is repelled by Szczęsny and then Adeyemi’s shot on the rebound bobbles goalwards after a good block by Martinez.
That chance happened moments after Barcelona almost doubled their lead, Lewandowski shooting with his right foot when his left looked best positioned to seal the deal. The Pole then tried a spectacular overhead kick when the ball rebounded to him but his effort was well saved by Kobel.
08:40 PM BST
35 mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Doh! That’s a clanger!
Some delightful interplay between Can, Brandt and Adeyemi on the outside of the are result in a lovely clipped pass to Guirassy who only has the keeper to beat but somehow, the scorer of 10 Champions League goals, produces an air-kick befitting of Hackney marshes and a glorious chance results in the ball bouncing into the grateful arms of Wojciech Szczęsny.
Szczęsny has gone 20 games without losing a match and the forcefield in front of his goal is clearly still doing its job.
08:36 PM BST
34 mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
Barcelona break after a rare Dortmund attack and Yamal plays a delightful pass to the far post.
Raphinha is on the stretch at the far post once again but this time can’t direct his effort on target from a tight angle.
08:27 PM BST
25 mins: Barcelona 1 Borussia Dortmund 0
GOOOAAALLL!
Pau Cubarsi gets on the end of a knock down by Iñigo Martinez and looks to have scored his first Champions League goal.
But Raphinha poached it on the line and got the final touch.
And now the VAR is checking for offside. Why did Raphinha take that risk?
The wait is agonising for the home fans...
But it’s ruled good... just. A Dortmund defender’s heel played the Brazilian onside.
1-0 Barcelona and rather fortuitously Raphinha now has 12 Champions League goals.
08:26 PM BST
22 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Most of Barcelona’s most threatening work is coming from the right flank where Yamal is leading his markers a merry dance.
He almost plays Lewandowski in with a cute pass with the outside of his left foot but it’s a fraction too long.
And Yamal gets booked for a loose arm flung in the direction of a Dortmund defender.
Adeyemi then follows him into the book for grappling.
08:20 PM BST
18 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
A careful pass by Emre Can to Waldemar Anton is hammered into touch for no apparent reason by the Uzbek defender, highlighting the sense of slight panic that appears to have taken hold among the men in yellow shirts. Barcelona can do that to you.
08:15 PM BST
14 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Adeyemi rises for a header after good approach play down the right but his attempt is blocked.
08:14 PM BST
12 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Dortmund have weathered the early storm but are struggling to get their foot on the ball as Barça continue to weave their pretty patterns in midfield and then look to play in Raphinha or Yamal.
08:11 PM BST
10 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Dortmund get the chance to breathe as Brandt wins a corner. It’s well taken, arcing to the far post but no one is there to meet it.
08:10 PM BST
7 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
And there’s a third chance in seven minutes.
This time Lewandowski is not ignored as Raphinha gets to the byline and cuts the ball back for the former Dortmund and Bayern striker, whose powerful shot is tipped over by Gregor Kobel.
08:08 PM BST
6 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Again Yamal wriggles away from his markers, cuts back from the byline and then elects to shoot from the tightest of angles when a cutback to Lewandowski was the order of the day.
08:07 PM BST
5 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Barcelona are already looking ominous and Yamal gets the first shot on goal. The 17-year-old drops his shoulder, cuts in from the right, unleashes a shot but his effort is well saved.
08:05 PM BST
3 mins: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Dortmund start off by giving away possession in their own half and so begins the passing carousel for which the Catalans are famed. Raphinha breaks free down the left and crosses low for Fermín López but Ramy Bensebaïni gets back in time to clear for a corner.
08:01 PM BST
1 min: Barcelona 0 Borussia Dortmund 0
Peep!
And we’re off.
07:59 PM BST
Two minutes and counting
We’re approaching kick-off now and the home fans will be expecting goals from the five-time European club champions – as is their wont.
The winners of this tie will face the whoever emerges triumphant from the quarter-final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, with the Italian side leading 2-1 after the first leg.
07:48 PM BST
What’s new for Dortmund?
As for Dortmund, their team is much-changed from their 3-2 defeat, perhaps because they have a different head coach in charge, Niko Kovac, who arrived in January to revive a flagging league campaign
From that 3-2 defeat by Barça, Marcel Sabitzer and Nico Schlotterbeck are out injured, while Julien Duranville and Giovanni Reyna are on the bench. Waldemar Anton now features in defence, Carney Chukwuemeka, on loan from Chelsea, is deployed in midfield, while Julian Brandt brings experience and creativity behind the jet-heeled Karim Adeyemi.
BVB will aim to wrest possession from the hosts and hit them on transition, where gaps are known to appear behind Flick’s all-out attack.
Kovac has masterminded three wins out of their last four in the league, where they have crept up to eighth place, and progression in Europe has boosted morale. But Sabitzer and Schlotterbeck are big misses.
And Flick won’t be overly concerned about Dortmund really. He has won all six matches he has played against the Bundesliga side.
07:31 PM BST
López gets the nod
The only slight surprise to the Barcelona line-up is the inclusion of Fermín López instead of Gavi.
López will pull the strings just behind Lewandowski, and it will be interesting to see whether he can live up to his growing reputation for being a clever chance creator with an eye for goal.
07:24 PM BST
Fancy a flutter?
If you would like to enhance your experience of tonight’s action by placing a bet on this match then why not check out The Telegraph’s Bet of the Day. I fancy it might involve a win for the home side.
07:13 PM BST
The teams are out
Here are the teams for tonight’s match:
Hansi Flick makes three changes to the side who drew 1-1 with Real Betis on Saturday.
Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Ferran Torres drop to the bench, while Inigo Martinez, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha return.
Barcelona: Szczesny, Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde, Pedri, De Jong, Fermin, Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Subs: Pena, Kochen, Araujo, Gavi, Ferran, Fati, Torre, Christensen, Pau Victor, Garcia, Fort, Martin.
Niko Kovac also makes three changes despite an impressive 4-1 win over Freiburg at the weekend. Felix Nmecha, Jamie Gittens and the aforementioned Guirassy come in, with Daniel Svensson and Maximilian Beier making way. Former Brighton pass-master Pascal Gross is suspended.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Anton, Can, Bensebaini, Ryerson, Chukwuemeka, Nmecha, Brandt, Adeyemi, Guirassy, Gittens.
Subs: Meyer, Lotka, Couto, Ozcan, Reyna, Beier, Duranville, Svensson, Sule, Watjen, Kabar.
07:03 PM BST
Guirassy the danger man
But lest we forget, there is another dog in this fight.
Dortmund have been disappointing in the Bundesliga this season but have not been too shabby in this competition to reach this stage – something they seem to do on a frequent basis.
Last year’s finalists have already faced Barcelona in the league stage this season and narrowly lost a five-goal thriller 3-2.
Serhou Guirassy scored twice for BVB in that match, among 10 goals the Guinean has amassed in the competition this term, making him one of the most coveted strikers in Europe.
Guirassy has also racked up 15 Bundesliga goals in 24 appearances so do not be surprised if he finds the net again tonight.
06:52 PM BST
Barça’s free-scoring stars
Yamal has produced 30 goal involvements in 38 appearances for Barcelona so far his season – a simply remarkable return by an extraordinary talent.
But Dortmund have more than just the teenage sensation to worry about. Robert Lewandowski has been remorseless in most of his meetings with his former side. The Poland international has 27 goals from 27 appearances against the Schwarzgelben and is in rude health, having rattled off 38 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions this season. Nine of those have come in the Champions League – and he isn’t even his club’s top scorer in the competition. That honour falls to Raphinha, who has 11, making him the outright leading scorer in Europe’s elite club competition.
06:35 PM BST
Buenas tardes
Good evening and welcome to this evening’s Champions League quarter-final live blog between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
As one of the most free-scoring teams in Europe, hosts Barcelona are strong favourites to win this match. The Blaugrana are the highest-scoring team in the Champions League this season, with 32 goals from 10 matches. That is four more than tonight’s opponents who have taken 12 matches to reach 28.
Supporters can look forward to watching 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal showcase his precocious talent, while another graduate of Barca’s famed La Masia academy Pedri, 22, and former Leeds star Raphinha are among the array of the Catalan side’s exciting players capable of show-stopping moments.