Despite Borussia Dortmund’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Barcelona, Serhou Guirassy delivered a performance for the ages, etching his name into the history books of African football on Europe’s biggest stage.
Dortmund bowed out of the competition after a 5-3 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals, but Guirassy stood tall with a sensational hat-trick in the second leg, nearly dragging his side back from the brink against a faltering Barcelona.
The Guinean international began his scoring spree with a calmly converted penalty in the first half, giving Dortmund a glimmer of hope. Just two minutes after the restart, he doubled his tally with a powerful header. Then, with 15 minutes remaining, Guirassy completed his hat-trick in style, latching onto a loose ball inside the box and finishing with finesse.
His treble not only highlighted his individual brilliance but also wrote him into the record books. With 13 goals in the ongoing Champions League campaign, Guirassy became the top scorer of the tournament this season, surpassing Barcelona’s Raphinha, who sits on 12.
Guirassy also shattered club records, becoming the first Borussia Dortmund player to net 13 goals in a single Champions League season — eclipsing the previous marks held by Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski, both of whom managed 10 in their best seasons with the club.
On a continental level, Guirassy’s exploits made even greater waves. His 13-goal haul is now the highest ever by an African player in a single Champions League campaign, breaking the previous record of 11 set by Sébastien Haller during the 2021/22 season with Ajax. In total, Guirassy has been directly involved in 17 goals this Champions League season (13 goals, 4 assists) — the most ever by an African player, surpassing Mohamed Salah’s previous best of 14.
Remarkably, Guirassy scored all of Dortmund’s goals against Barcelona this season, both in the group stages and in the knockout rounds, underlining his importance and consistency. His hat-trick also made him the first African player to score three goals in a single Champions League match against Barcelona — a feat never before achieved.
While Dortmund’s journey ends here, Guirassy’s performances will be remembered as one of the standout stories of the tournament, and a milestone moment for African excellence in European football.
