Barcelona advances to Champions League semifinals despite first loss of the year

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund did what no else has been able to in 2025 — they beat Barcelona. It still wasn't enough to reach the Champions League semifinals.

Guirassy scored a hat trick and still ended up on the losing side as Dortmund's 3-1 win over Barcelona — the Spanish club's first defeat of any sort since December — wasn't enough to prevent a 5-3 aggregate loss.

After being swept aside 4-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinal, Dortmund had nothing to lose Tuesday and attacked Barcelona from the start, leaving the visitors off-balance.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who has plenty of experience of facing — and beating — Dortmund from his time in the German league, said the passionate home crowd meant he'd expected a tough second leg despite his team's four-goal lead.

“I had a little bit of a feeling that something like this was coming,” Flick told broadcaster Amazon Prime. “Today you have to say congratulations to Dortmund, they played a very good game, and congratulations to my team, they're in the semifinals.”

It was an unusually quiet game for Barcelona's prolific forwards Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who had 12 and 11 Champions League goals respectively this season. The closest either came to scoring was a tame shot by Raphinha at Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Guirassy is Dortmund's “life insurance,” coach Niko Kovac said after a game that continued his rapid rise to fame and left him top of the Champions League scoring lists this season. “Serhou just needs the support of his teammates, like every striker does, and he got that today.”

Dortmund had arguably lost the quarterfinal in the first leg, and in addition had captain Emre Can and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka ruled out with injuries earlier in the day.

For a while, Guirassy made the impossible seem possible.

Guirassy had missed chances in the first leg and spurned a couple more early in Tuesday's game but made no mistake from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny collided with Pascal Gross.

Guirassy's header made it 2-0 in the 49th minute before an own goal by Ramy Bensebaini made Dortmund's task even harder. Fermín López's low cross that in off Bensebaini's ankle — a double disappointment for Dortmund because the defender been crucial in the comeback attempt, assisting Guirassy’s second goal shortly before.

Guirassy seized on Ronald Araujo's defensive error to complete his hat trick with a powerful close-range shot in the 76th, in the process becoming the Champions League's top scorer this season on 13 goals.

It gave Dortmund fresh hope of completing what would have been one of the all-time great Champions League comebacks — one to rival Barcelona's against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 — but Barcelona held on to progress.

Barcelona faces either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals, the first time it’s reached the last four of the Champions League since the 2018-19 season. In Tuesday’s other game, PSG reached the semifinals with a 5-4 aggregate win over Aston Villa despite losing the second leg 3-2.

As well as being Barcelona’s first loss in all competitions since a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Dec. 21, it was Barcelona's first Champions League loss since September, and only the seventh loss in Flick's 50 games in charge. The German coach had won all seven of his previous games against Dortmund in charge of Barcelona and Bayern.

Dortmund may have to wait a while until the Champions League anthem plays at its stadium again.

Last year’s Champions League runner-up is eighth in the Bundesliga with five games remaining, and six points off the four Champions League qualifying places.

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Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after forcing an own goal by Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Barcelona players ahead of the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy scores his side's third goal during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona, in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Barcelona's Gerard Martin celebrates after forcing an own goal by Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (9) and Fermin Lopez celebrate after forcing an own goal by Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, right, duels for the ball with Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, left, leaves the field with teammates after the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini, left, duels for the ball with Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Barcelona's Gavi, right, challenges Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Niklas Suele, right, and Dortmund's Pascal Gross react at the end of the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini reacts at the end of the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and assist, Kyle Connor scored his second consecutive game-winner in the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their opening-round playoff series.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 21 shots to help the Jets take a 2-0 playoff series lead for the first time in three seasons. The past two years, Winnipeg won the first game and then lost the next four to be eliminated.

“I don’t know if it’s a mental boost, but we’re aware of it coming into it,” Connor said. “I think over the past couple of years, this group is motivated.

“We talked about it over the offseason, we preached about it all year, it’s in this room. Everybody needs to be better, bear down, it’s dragging everybody into the fight. Yeah it’s a second win, but we’re not resting here. We’ve got a long ways to go.”

Taking a 2-0 lead in the series wasn’t cause for celebration by Jets coach Scott Arniel.

“This is all (about) Game 3 now,” Arniel said. “We’ll do our postgame work tomorrow or over the next couple of days here. The guys know how hard it is, now.”

Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first playoff goal and Jordan Binnington had 20 saves for the eighth-seeded Blues.

“Winnipeg has made one more play than us. Both games,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Shots are dead even, so they’re just making one more play, and their best players are making them.”

St. Louis hosts Game 3 on Thursday.

Connor made it 2-1 at 1:43 of the third period after getting a feed out front by Cole Perfetti at the side of the net.

Scheifele escaped Blues defenseman Cam Fowler behind the St. Louis net and sent the puck to Perfetti to feed Connor.

“Scheif is so smart when it comes to that, body positioning, getting inside a guy or just making a little poke on the puck,” Perfetti said. “And he was able to get the guy’s stick and then make just a little poke. That was all that he needed for the puck to come to me and create that little bit of space.”

The Blues got their fourth straight power play six minutes later, but Winnipeg’s defenders killed it.

The Blues continued their hitting ways from the first game’s 5-3 loss and the Jets didn’t back down.

Within the first minute of Game 2, St. Louis skaters delivered five hits. Winnipeg responded with a pair of their own.

Jets 6-foot-7 defenseman Logan Stanley later crushed Jordan Kyrou into the boards. The forward carefully went to the bench with about seven minutes remaining in the period.

Blues captain Brayden Schenn, who had seven hits in the first period of Game 1, skated across the ice and flew into Jets captain Adam Lowry. He finished with four hits in the period.

“After the game you go home and you feel sore, but it’s a good sore, and a good tired,” said Jets defenseman Luke Schenn, who had seven hits. “You know, when you come away with the win, it obviously doesn’t hurt as much.”

Scheifele scored on a great effort to get around a St. Louis defender and then fired a backhand from the slot. The puck bounced off Snuggerud into the net with 3:28 left.

Winnipeg didn’t capitalize on two power plays, but the Blues cashed in on their first one.

Snuggerud made up for the earlier bad bounce by sending the puck high over Hellebuyck’s blocker side on the man advantage with 2 seconds remaining in the period to make it 1-1.

Montgomery flipped Snuggerud and left-winger Jake Neighbours for the game, moving the former University of Minnesota star from the second line to the top one with center Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. He said the motive was producing more offense.

Both teams tallied 16 hits each in the first period, and the Blues outshot the Jets 10-8.

St. Louis came up empty on two power plays in the second period and both teams fired seven shots at the goalies.

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St. Louis Blues' Robert Thomas (18) celebrates a goal on on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) on a shot by Jimmy Snuggerud, not shown, during the first period of an NHL playoff game in Winnipeg, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud, left, celebrates after his goal against the Winnipeg Jets with Cam Fowler (17) during the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) checks Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) during the first period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' David Gustafsson (19) carries the puck past St. Louis Blues' Justin Faulk (72) during the second period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Jake Neighbours, center, falls over Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, right, as he is checked by Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Jake Neighbours, center, falls over Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, right, as he is checked by Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) makes a save against Winnipeg Jets' Luke Schenn (5) as Blues' Justin Faulk (72) defends during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save against a St. Louis Blues shot during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, left, clears the puck away from Winnipeg Jets' Vladislav Namestnikov (7) during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save against St. Louis Blues' Jimmy Snuggerud (21) during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) celebrates his goal on St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (81) celebrates after his goal against the St. Louis Blues with Mark Scheifele (55) during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday April 21, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)