Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had to lift the spirits of a surprisingly downbeat dressing room on Tuesday night after his side secured a place in the UEFA Champions League semifinals despite a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.

The Catalan side's commanding 4-0 victory in the first leg at Montjuïc proved enough to carry them through on a 5-3 aggregate. However, the mood at full-time at Signal Iduna Park was far from celebratory, with players visibly frustrated by their second-leg performance.

“There was not a great atmosphere in the dressing room,” Flick admitted. “It was only when I told them, ‘Lads, we're in the semifinal,’ that it lifted a bit. I had to remind them of the big picture.”

Borussia Dortmund came out fighting, with Serhou Guirassy delivering a brilliant hat-trick to give the German side hope of a historic comeback. But a crucial own goal by Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini, who deflected a Fermin Lopez cross into his own net, gave Barcelona the breathing space they needed to hold on.

The result marked Barcelona’s first defeat in any competition in 2025, snapping a 24-match unbeaten run. Still, Flick emphasized that the tie was played over two legs and praised the team for their dominant showing in the first match.

“We played two games. We won the first 4-0, and here we lost 3-1. I think we deserved to reach the semifinal,” Flick said, acknowledging the team’s uneven display but ultimately focusing on the progress they’ve made.

Defender Jules Koundé echoed the coach’s sentiment, expressing pride in the result but frustration with the performance. “I am really happy to be in the semifinal, but disappointed with how we played. We lacked everything we did well in the first leg,” he told reporters.

Barcelona will now prepare to face either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the semifinals, with the two sides set to complete their own quarter-final showdown. For Flick and his players, reaching the last four of the Champions League is a major step forward, especially after several years of early exits and rebuilding efforts.

While Tuesday night’s defeat served as a reminder of the challenges that remain, Flick was quick to bring the focus back to the achievement itself: Barcelona are back in the Champions League semifinals and that, he insists, is something worth celebrating.