Barcelona defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a chaotic game at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday evening.

Raphinha gave Hansi Flick’s side the lead in the 52nd minute with a nerveless finish, before Serhou Guirassy equalized from the penalty spot in the 60th minute after Pau Cubarsi’s advance.

The game then ended in a hectic fashion as substitute Ferran Torres gave Barca a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute, Guirassy broke Barca’s offside trap to equalize and Torres struck again in the 85th minute to secure a hard-fought win for the Catalans.

Here our authors analyze a crazy evening in Champions League football.

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How did Reyna perform in his first start of the season?

Many Dortmund fans will tell you that they never expected Giovanni Reyna to start for their club again. Reyna spent half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest and until Wednesday evening had only played 62 minutes of domestic football all season.

The last time he started for Dortmund was almost exactly a year ago against Hoffenheim. The last time he started a club game of any kind was against Everton on April 21, during that Forest loan spell. Off the field, the story surrounding his USMNT future and his relationship with former coach Gregg Berhalter has put a strain on his career in its own right.

But Reyna made a strong impression on his return, playing as the focal point in the attacking midfield between Jamie Gittens and Julien Duranville. He lasted 73 minutes but coped well with the speed of Barcelona’s ball circulation.

As with every Dortmund player, the pace of the game was noticeable at times, but he dug in without the ball and disrupted the passing channel between Marc Casado and Dani Olmo. His defensive work was good. He fought back and fought in his own half, and within the first 30 minutes a high turnover he forced might have resulted in a more fortunate result for Guirassy.

Reyna was also convincing in possession of the ball. He started a flowing Dortmund attack with a clever diagonal pass to Ramsy Bensebaini on the left. And just before half-time he hit a beautiful cross to the back post from which Guirassy should have scored – even if he appeared to be offside.

Sebastian Stafford Bloor

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How has Raphinha’s traveling role helped Barca?

Watching Raphinha this season is an experience in itself.

The 27-year-old has had a memorable season: he scored the opener against Dortmund, taking him to six goals in six Champions League games – and 17 goals in all competitions. Even when he doesn’t score, the freedom with which he plays is a joy to watch, and Wednesday night was no different.

Raphinha nominally started on the left wing and roamed the pitch at will. Drift into central areas between the lines? Secure. Leading after the change with Robert Lewandowski? Naturally. Are you coming along to get involved in the build-up play alongside Barcelona’s midfield? You can bet on it. Yes, he also shows off his trademark dancing feet as he hugs the left sideline, but it would be too easy to stay there without putting on a show.

Raphinha doesn’t even have to touch the ball to influence the game. Here, with his tireless energy, he often managed to make those penetrating runs behind the Dortmund defensive line – as he had done all season. When he didn’t receive the ball, he still stretched Dortmund’s structure to create space for Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, who could occupy the spaces in the pockets.

When he actually received the ball, his pace allowed him to rush into space following Olmo’s pass before finishing with a powerful finish into the bottom corner at the start of the second half.

Many doubted how Raphinha would find a place in the Barcelona team after the great Lamine Yamal took his place on the right wing. It’s fair to say that those doubts will be answered this season too, with the Brazilian winger popping up all over the attacking line.

Mark Carey

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Yamal is still Barca’s main man

Raphinha may have scored the opening goal and Torres scored two late goals, but if Barcelona need to make something happen, Yamal is clearly their go-to man.

The 17-year-old was the Catalans’ biggest threat in the first half. Two of his balls from the right almost ended in goals for Raphinha – one of which was the result of his trademark ‘Trivela’ pass with the outside of his boot.

Yamal also tested Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel more than anyone else in a Barca shirt in this first half, with the Pole saving two shots on target.

It was also Jamal’s leadership that stood out. You could see him giving orders to his teammates while in possession, asking them to be more calm on the ball or urging full-back Jules Kounde to move to open up the Dortmund defense.

His growing influence on the Barcelona team has been well documented this season. Barca remain winless in every game Yamal has not started in La Liga this season (three defeats and a draw). Raphinha could have turned it into an empty net in the run-up to his goal – fortunately for the Brazilian, he shot into the goal.

Yamal was quieter in the second half as Barca looked more to Dani Olmo and Raphinha in attack. But Hansi Flick decided to keep the teenager on the pitch – and it paid off. He played a key role in setting up Torres’ goal, initiating the move down the right that led to the Spaniard’s opportunistic finish. He then delivered the final pass to Torres and scored the late winner on the counterattack.

Pol Ballus

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Duranville shows its promise

What an occasion for 18-year-old Julien Duranville. He moved to Borussia Dortmund from Anderlecht in 2023 but has since suffered from a series of hamstring injuries. Almost two years later and despite his huge reputation, this was his first start for Dortmund – in the Champions League or any other competition.

Depending on your personality, the prospect of playing against Barcelona in front of 80,000 spectators at the Westfalenstadion would either terrify or excite an 18-year-old player. It’s safe to say that Duranville was the latter. He wasn’t always perfect, but he played with encouraging freedom and a clear determination to express himself. Whenever he had the chance, he ran towards Barca left-back Alejandro Balde.

Duranville was more fun and positive than destructive or outstanding, but it’s clear why he is one of the highest-rated players of his generation. He also played for Belgium and made his first international appearance before his first start in Dortmund.

But the Dortmund fans saw him in guest appearances and that was enough to pique their interest. In addition to being quick or skilled, he also has an unusual dribbling style – with a low center of gravity that allows him to turn quickly from side to side, facing defenders and throwing him off balance.

Forgive any fans who daydreamed and imagined what it might be like in the long run for him on the right side of their attack and Jamie Gittens on the left. There are a lot of ifs and maybes about it – form, fitness, development – but it’s fun to think about.

Sebastian Stafford Bloor

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Guirassy’s Night of Contrasts

Guirassy will never have a stranger evening in the Champions League. A penalty was won and converted, another goal was scored, but numerous good chances were wasted. At his best, he is a wonderfully fluid footballer who can influence attacks in all sorts of ways.

Wednesday, however, was not one of those evenings. Guirassy’s link play and first touch were off throughout the evening and his technique seemed a bit clumsy.
And his degree was also wrong. A few minutes before the equalizer made it 2-2, he sent a header over the crossbar as the entire Westfalenstadion awaited his goal.

This is Guirassy’s normal standard. But he missed equally impressive chances in the first half, the most obvious ones just before half-time, and that ultimately made the difference between the teams.

Barca probably deserved their win. It could have been different – possibly should have been different. Guirassy was hardly to blame for the defeat. His efforts at the top made a major contribution to Dortmund’s resistance. But given the standards he has set for himself over the last 18 months, it will still be a disappointment.

Sebastian Stafford Bloor

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Barca’s high line

Barcelona’s high defensive line is well established under Flick this season.

It certainly has its advantages. The most obvious of these is that it allows them to push further up the pitch and condense space to give the opponent less time to play through their defensive structure.

Each of the four defenders were constantly on guard when Dortmund had the ball, ready to take a step forward to catch any opposing runner offside. Because the gaps were so close, Barca had to have the perfect timing every time to act at the crucial moment.

Of course, this approach is not without risks and Dortmund showed this with Guirassy’s second goal. How? Runners from deeper areas.

Coming forward to catch a striker or winger offside is one thing, but an attacking midfielder pushing forward from his own half is often harder to track. Dortmund’s Pascal Gross was the one who broke Barcelona’s line as he ran past and played a simple pass for Guirassy to roll the ball into the empty net.

Barca have certainly had more successes than failures in their brave defensive line this season – and this was another big win this season – but tonight’s show shows that there are methods for opponents to unlock him.

Mark Carey

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What did Hansi Flick say?

We will let you know after he speaks at the post-match press conference.

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What’s next for Barcelona?

Sunday December 15th: Leganes (H), La Liga, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET

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(Top photo by ANP via Getty Images)