The Champions League quarter finals have delivered exciting matches, marked by the defeat of two talented players, Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) and Serhou Giarassy (Dortmund), despite remarkable performances. These eliminations highlight the difficulty of accessing the semi-finals and highlight the resilience of the opposing teams. Borussia Dortmund, after a severe setback in Barcelona (4-0), managed to win the home game (3-1), a first since 2025, but this was not enough to reverse a situation that was too compromised from the start of the competition. Serhou Giarassy, former LOSC player, was the main craftsman of this beautiful performance, marking a trip including a penalty transformed from a panenka, before the Catalans managed to narrow the gap.

On the side of Aston Villa, the duel facing Paris Saint-Germain was also intense. Although the Parisian club took a substantial advantage in the all-round game (3-1) and led two goals in Villa Park thanks to the achievements of Ashraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, the Villans showed exemplary determination. After a narrowing of the gap by Youri Tielemans, Aston Villa players matched with John McGinn and Ezri Konsa, challenging Parisian goaltender Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite this fierce resistance, Paris Saint-Germain retained its combined advantage (4-5) and qualified for the semifinals.

Finally, these quarter finals highlighted the high level of competition and the ability of some players to stand out. Serhou Giarassy, despite the elimination of his team, won as the best scorer in Borussia Dortmund’s history on a single campaign, with thirteen goals. For their part, Aston Villa players demonstrated their potential by squandering Paris Saint-Germain. The semifinals will be between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal or Real Madrid, while FC Barcelona will face Bayern Munich or Inter Milan.