Kolkata: The commentators spoke of a gentle Catalan night however Gregor Kobel would have discovered the situations removed from nice. Ditto Borussia Dortmund’s left again Ramy Bensebaini.
Barcelona are the third membership for which Robert Lewandowski has scored 10 targets or extra in a Champions League season. (AP)
By the point Lamine Yamal had drawn a save from Kobel after drifting inside and capturing throughout objective after beating Bensebaini on the surface, solely 4 minutes had handed of this Champions League first-leg quarter-final. Quickly, Robert Lewandowski would check Kobel after Raphinha and Pedri mixed to search out him. Six minutes in and Barcelona had received into scoring positions thrice.
This felt just like narrations of how Brazil had began in opposition to USSR within the 1958 World Cup; Garrincha shredding opposition to ribbons. Lev Yashin’s shirt was soaked in sweat as if he had been enjoying for hours, Ney Bianchi had written. The best three minutes within the historical past of soccer was Gabriel Hanot’s verdict. Each accounts have been reproduced in Ruy Castro’s biography of Garrincha.
Lewandowski’s brace and a objective every from Raphinha and Yamal lit up the night, the 4-0 win protecting Barcelona’s quest for a treble alive. The trio has 82 targets in all competitions this season. Borussia Dortmund have 81.
“Lamine, Raphinha and I are working well on and off the pitch,” Lewandowski mentioned after the match. The Pole now has 40 targets in all competitions this time period, the primary in Europe’s prime 5, and 99 targets for Barcelona. He has scored 14 targets within the Champions League after turning 35. Even Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t do this.
Barcelona are the third membership after Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich for whom Lewandowski has scored 10 targets or extra in a Champions League season. At 36, he’s averaging 1.02 targets per sport in 2024-25. He doesn’t have a Ballon d’Or and if he doesn’t get it this time period it might be as a result of a teammate will.
For, jaw-dropping as Lewandowski’s numbers are, think about Raphinha’s. A objective and two assists took the Brazilian’s objective contribution to 48 this time period, greater than what Rivaldo and Ronaldinho ever managed at Barcelona. Raphinha has 12 targets and 7 assists in 11 matches in Europe. It makes him the primary within the competitors’s historical past to have greater than 10 targets and 5 assists. His present tally can be the most effective Lionel Messi ever managed in a Champions League marketing campaign and although nobody is speaking about it as a result of this tie is barely half executed, Barcelona may play 4 extra matches.
It will have been one much less had Raphinha not touched Pau Cubarsi’s immediate after Inigo Martinez cushioned Fermin Lopez’s free-kick awarded after Karim Adeyemi pulled Jules Kounde’s hair. It may even have been chalked off for off-side and Raphinha mentioned he has apologised to Cubarsi. Because it turned out, Cubarsi grew to become the youngest defender in Champions League to supply an help at 18 years and 77 days, Raphinha scored in his fourth successive Champions League knockout match, and after 25 minutes, Barcelona have been in entrance.
And throughout their opponents within the second half. Borussia Dortmund may have scored earlier than half-time however Serhou Guirassy did not take his possibilities, Wojciech Szczesny thwarted Jamie Gittens and Carney Chukwuemeka’s photographs have been blocked.
Dortmund additionally missed Nico Schlotterbeck, Marcel Sabitzer and Pacsal Gross however that was not why skipper Emre Can mentioned they misplaced. “We were soft. We weren’t cohesive enough. And, on top of that, we made simple mistakes,” he instructed DAZN.
Yamal and Raphinha mixed for the second objective, a header from the goalline by Lewandowski within the forty eighth. Lewandowski’s second of the night time, within the 66th, too had a contribution from Yamal with Lopez additionally serving to. By then, Barcelona have been gliding, Dortmund grounded.
Yamal’s 14th objective of the season got here after Lewandowski wrested possession and handed to Raphinha. {The teenager}, beneath stress, scored with a left-foot toe-poke so swift and good that Kobel was left ball-watching. “When a team plays that well, goals normally flow,” mentioned Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.
Barcelona lead La Liga, are within the Copa del Rey closing and may add to 5 Champions League titles. Their excessive defensive position normally results in opponents caught embarrassingly off-side. They’ve scored 144 targets in all competitions and the frontline has sparked comparisons with Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr .
However return a bit in time and the season of mellow fruitfulness would look removed from potential. There was speak of Lewandowski’s age, Raphinha transferring to Saudi Arabia and Yamal being younger.
Nicely, Yamal now has 4 Champions League targets, a report for a participant youthful than 18, Lewandowski is not only scoring, he’s creating area for others by occupying central defenders, and Raphinha is within the type of his life. A primary semi-final since 2018-19 appears extra believable than it ever did.