Barcelona secured their ticket to the UEFA Champions League semifinals on Tuesday night—a success they had not achieved since the 2018/19 season when Lionel Messi was still part of the team.

Under Hansi Flick’s management, Barcelona played one of their worst games of the season at Signal Iduna Park, where Borussia Dortmund held hope until the last moment. The own goal by Ben Sebaini acted as a lifeline for Barcelona, helping them advance to the next stage. This season, own goals—whether due to luck or relentless attacking pressure—have become a key ally for Barça.

This statistic becomes even more remarkable when considering that Barcelona, along with Cesc Fàbregas’ Como, has benefited the most from own goals among Europe’s top five leagues, with a total of five. The Algerian star’s own goal played a crucial role in Barcelona’s Champions League progression.

It is no coincidence that Barcelona is one of the teams that forces the most own goals from opponents. Flick’s team, especially the attacking trio of Lewandowski, Lamina, and Raphinha, has formed the highest-scoring frontline in Europe. Barcelona’s trio has netted 82 goals, outperforming Bayern Munich (65) and Real Madrid (64). Thanks to Flick’s tactical adjustments, Barça’s attack has become even more lethal. The German coach’s biggest success has been stabilizing Raphinha on the left wing—a player who spent most of his career, especially at Leeds United, on the right.