Spread the Charm of the League Toppers

BARCELONA, THURSDAY — Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain carried their success in topping the domestic league standings into the UEFA Champions League. Both teams showcased their prowess by securing impressive victories in the first leg of the quarterfinals, Thursday (10/4/2025) early morning Western Indonesia Time. These victories serve as valuable assets ahead of their away matches in the second leg.

Barca celebrated with four unanswered goals against Borussia Dortmund, while Paris Saint-Germain rallied from behind and then turned the game around to win 3-1 against Aston Villa. These results further paved the way for Barca and PSG to advance to the semifinals.

Their success in achieving positive results in the Champions League seems to reflect their triumph in topping the domestic league. "Blaugrana" currently leads the Spanish League standings with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid in second place. Meanwhile, PSG has already secured the championship title with six weeks remaining in the French League.

Villa stunned PSG with a strike from forward Morgan Rogers 10 minutes before the end of the first half. However, PSG showcased their champion mentality. They needed only four minutes to respond through Desire Doue. The team, led by coach Luis Enrique, then went on a rampage by scoring two additional goals thanks to the efforts of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes.

"We knew it would be difficult to face this team. We have watched some of their recent matches and understand how lethal and sharp they are. They have now made the world take notice," said Rogers after the match at Parc des Princes Stadium, Paris, France.

Rogers hopes for a miracle to occur in the second meeting at their home ground, Villa Park Stadium. With this result, Villa must score at least two goals or more to keep their hopes of advancing to the semifinals alive.

In another match, Dortmund was unable to withstand the aggressiveness of Barca's attacking line, which was in high spirits. Barca scored four goals through Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski (2 goals), and Lamine Yamal.

The additional four goals further confirm Barca as the most productive team in Europe at the moment. The “Blaugrana” have scored a total of 145 goals in 48 matches in all competitions. The team coached by coach Hansi Flick is now only 45 goals away from equaling the record set by Pep Guardiola in 2011-2012. At that time, during one season, Barca scored 190 goals in 64 matches.

Barca's attacking trident, Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Yamal are said to be the incarnation of Barca's legendary attacking trio filled by Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez or familiarly known as the MSN trio. The presence of Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Yamal on the field is a terror for Barca's opponents.

Although Dortmund tried to make Barca lose their identity by herding them to dominate possession, Barca's speed of attack did not fade away. Raphinha, Yamal, and Lewandowski seemed to understand each other.

This happened during the process of Barca's second goal by Lewandowski. Yamal cleverly sent a diagonal ball to Raphinha who made the Dortmund defense relax a little. The ball was then bounced to Lewandowski who ran on the other side.

"Dortmund are a good team. We knew we had to travel there and make as few mistakes as possible. Our three players up front today were great and very important," Flick said.

Flick said that his team has not yet secured a ticket to the semifinals. Therefore, he asked his players to remain highly alert in the second meeting. Although it is not certain to qualify, a landslide victory of four goals without reply at least makes Barca's struggle easier.

Dortmund now have the pressure to overturn a four-goal deficit at home. Historically, several teams, including Barca, have turned things around phenomenally in the second leg. However, a four-goal deficit on paper is very difficult for Dortmund to overcome.

"It's a shame how we played today, including me and the whole team. It's not what we wanted at all. It's what happened. For me, there's still hope for us. But it's going to be very, very difficult," Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi said.

Barca and PSG follow Arsenal and Inter Milan who also achieved sweet results in other matches. Arsenal beat Real 3-0, while Inter defeated hosts Bayern Munich 2-1. If no miracle happens, the four teams have a big chance to lock in the semifinal tickets.

The situation is ideal for Barca who are aiming for a fourth title of the season after winning the Spanish Super Cup. In addition to the Champions League, Barca are also favorites to win the Spanish League and the Spanish King's Cup. (REUTERS)