Borussia Dortmund have never beaten Barcelona but are hoping to change all that when the teams meet in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. - © Fabio Deinert

bundesliga

Five times Bundesliga clubs beat Barcelona in European competition

13.03.2025

As Borussia Dortmund prepare to face Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, bundesliga.com looks back at five of the greatest victories German clubs have ever recorded over the Catalan giants.

Bayern Munich 8-2 Barcelona
2019/20 Champions League quarter-final

When Bayern drew Barcelona in the one-legged quarter-finals of the coronavirus-impacted 2019/20 season, a perfectly normal clash between two titans of European football appeared to be on the cards. As such, there did not appear to be too much out of the ordinary when Thomas Müller opened the scoring after four minutes, nor when Barça drew level three minutes later via a David Alaba own goal.

However, that preceded a wild 83 minutes few could have expected. Goals from Ivan Perišić, Serge Gnabry and a second from Müller made it 4-1 at the break. Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski and Philippe Coutinho (twice) then piled on the misery, putting eight goals past the Catalan giants.

A second-half Luis Suárez finish ensured the score ended 8-2 on the night, although it did little to spare his side’s blushes as Bayern became the first team since 1946 to put eight goals past the Catalans and Hansi Flick’s side swept to Champions League glory as part of an iconic treble.

Barcelona 2-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
2021/22 UEFA Europa League quarter-final, second-leg

Frankfurt’s penalty shootout victory over Rangers in the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final will forever go down as one of the greatest matches in the club’s history. Yet there’s a case to be made that it wasn’t even the best result of the campaign – that title might belong to their quarter-final second-leg clash in Barcelona.

Having drawn 1-1 in Germany, the Eagles faced a mammoth task as they visited the Camp Nou in late April. But, with an army of fans in tow, they stunned their illustrious hosts by racing to a 3-0 lead thanks to a brace from Filip Kostić and a wonderstrike from Rafael Borré. A late Barcelona comeback, which saw them score twice in injury time, wasn’t enough to turn the tide, as Frankfurt edged the tie 4-3 on aggregrate en route to winning the competition.

Eintracht Frankfurt claimed a historic win over Barcelona in 2022. - IMAGO/HMB Media/IMAGO/HMB-Media

Bayern 4-0 Barcelona
2012/13 Champions League semi-final, second-leg

Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern were more determined than ever to win the Champions League in 2012/13, having lost the final in their own stadium against Chelsea the season before. Yet a semi-final showdown with Barça proved a huge test of their credentials. Yet goals from Müller, Arjen Robben and an own goal from Gerard Piqué at the Camp Nou handed them a tantalising advantage for the return leg in Munich.

They might have been forgiven for shutting up shop. Instead, they came out guns blazing, smashing four past Lionel Messi and Co. through Müller (twice), Mario Gómez and Robben. That contributed to a stunning 7-0 aggregate victory over Tito Vilanova's side. Bayern would go on to win the competition as part of a first treble for the club.

Thomas Müller's eight goals is the most any player who has never played in Spain has scored against Barcelona. - imago sportfotodienst/imago sportfotodienst

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Barcelona
1987/88 UEFA Cup quarter-final first-leg

Prior to the 2023/24 Europa League final, which they lost to Italian side Atalanta, Leverkusen last reached the showpiece of a European competition back in 1988. They were more more successful on that occasion, beating Espanyol 3-2 on penalties to lift the silverware.

That wouldn’t have been possible, however, without an accomplished quarter-final performance against the other Barcelona-based club. The Werkself won the first leg 1-0 at home, thanks to a strike from Tita, before forcing a stalemate at the Camp Nou. They went on to take down fellow Germans Werder Bremen in the last four, before romping to victory in the final.

Bayer Leverkusen players celebrate after winning the 1988 UEFA Cup. - IMAGO/Laci Perenyi

Barcelona 0-4 Cologne
1980/81 UEFA Cup second round, second-leg

Cologne’s run to the semi-finals of the 1980/81 UEFA Cup featured one of the competition’s great upsets. Having lost the first leg 1-0 in Germany, the Billy Goats needed a massive performance in Spain to keep their European dream alive.

Cologne lost 1-0 at home to Barcelona but turned on the style back at the Camp Nou. - imago sportfotodienst

Cologne rose to the occasion - and then some - by smashing the Catalan giants 4-0 in their own backyard, thanks to goals from Gerd Strack, Stephan Engels, Pierre Littbarski and Dieter Müller. They would go on to reach the last four of the competition, where they lost to eventual champions Ipswich Town.