Emre Can Criticises Borussia Dortmund's Soft Performance Following Heavy Loss To Barcelona

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Emre Can, captain of Borussia Dortmund, expressed his disappointment following their 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Dortmund now faces a daunting task to replicate last season's success in the competition after this heavy loss at Montjuic. Robert Lewandowski scored twice against his former club, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal also finding the net.

Lewandowski's performance was particularly notable as he has now scored more goals against Dortmund than any other team, tallying 29 goals in 28 matches since leaving for Bayern Munich in 2014. This defeat marks one of Dortmund's heaviest losses in European Cup/Champions League history, equalling their 4-0 loss to Ajax in the 2021-22 season.

Can was visibly upset post-match and spoke to DAZN about the team's lack of determination. He emphasised that attitude, not tactics or coaching, was the issue. "It's not a question of system but rather of whether everyone is willing to give 100% and make the sacrifices required in games like this," Can stated.

The captain highlighted several shortcomings during the game, noting that they were not cohesive and made basic errors. "Too many things went wrong in the game, we didn't play well today. We were soft," he said. Such mistakes are severely punished at this level, contributing to their downfall against a strong Barcelona side.

Barcelona will enter Tuesday's return leg brimming with confidence. Meanwhile, Dortmund sits eighth in the Bundesliga with 41 points, trailing five points behind Champions League qualification spots. Hansi Flick’s Barcelona could potentially end the season with four trophies.

The Blaugrana have already secured the Supercopa de Espana title and are leading LaLiga. They are also set to face Real Madrid in this month's Copa del Rey final. Their current form makes them formidable opponents for any team.

Can acknowledged Barcelona’s quality but believed Dortmund could have performed better if they had played as a unit. "We were playing against a great Barcelona team... so the only way you can beat them is if you go out there as a team," he noted.

Despite acknowledging Barcelona's strength, Can stressed that Dortmund should have been more aggressive and united on the field. "I think we could have done much better... You have to go for it and we didn't," he admitted.

Dortmund now aims to deliver a strong performance in their next match as they owe it to their fans to give everything they have left this season.