According to reports, after Barcelona’s hard-fought qualification against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, the German press was full of praise for Niko Kovac’s team. The Yellow & Blacks had a tough task—to overturn a 4-0 first-leg defeat—and although they reduced the aggregate deficit (3-1), they ultimately fell short. Despite putting Barcelona under intense pressure in the second leg, they were eliminated.

German newspapers praised Borussia Dortmund’s performance at Signal Iduna Park. Bild reported: “A spectacular farewell to Dortmund!” and emphasized that the Germans were aware of the difficulty of this comeback. The same outlet wrote: “Dortmund were outstanding but eliminated!” and once again praised Kovac’s team.

Girassi was also highly praised: “Girassi almost single-handedly made Dortmund believe in a miracle. With his three goals, he once again showed his class and became the undisputed top scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals.”

Meanwhile, Express wrote about “a prestigious victory despite Dortmund’s elimination from the Champions League.” The newspaper reported: “The weight of the 4-0 defeat in the first leg was too much for Dortmund, but they shook the giant, even if the miracle did not happen.”

Spiegel wrote in its report: “Dortmund gave everything but it wasn’t enough. Before the match, there was little hope. In any case, a football miracle was needed. It didn’t happen, but Dortmund made an impact with an energetic performance in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.”