Dortmund rally to stun Lille and set up Barcelona blockbuster

The Germans now face a daunting clash with Barcelona, and head coach Niko Kovac has warned his squad they'll need to raise their game to topple the Spanish giants.

The night started disastrously for Dortmund, who fell behind just five minutes in. Lille's Ismaily charged down the left flank before teeing up Jonathan David, whose tame shot somehow slipped through goalkeeper Gregor Kobel's grasp.

The visitors wobbled, but Lille couldn't capitalise, Remy Cabella misfired a volley that might have buried Dortmund early.

Kovac's men regrouped and roared back, dominating the first half with a barrage of chances. Serhou Guirassy carved open Lille's defence to set up Pascal Gross, only for goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier to claw the ball off the line with help from defender Alexsandro. 

Chevalier then produced a stunning double save, thwarting Julian Brandt's header and Guirassy's follow-up, while Benjamin Andre blocked another effort on the line.

Dortmund's pressure was relentless, Gross even struck the bar, but they went into the break trailing.

The second half saw Dortmund's persistence pay off. A penalty was awarded when ex-Dortmund man Thomas Meunier felled Guirassy, and captain Emre Can calmly slotted home to level the tie.

Lille barely caught their breath before Maximilian Beier pounced, latching onto a Guirassy pass and rifling a shot into the top corner to seal the win. Kobel redeemed his earlier blunder with a vital stop to deny Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, ensuring Dortmund's progression.

"A great team effort," Kovac told reporters after the match. "It was unfortunate we went a goal down, but the team still dominated. We created a lot of chances for an away game in the Champions League, it shows this squad has quality and lives for these moments."

Looking ahead to Barcelona, who cruised past Benfica in the last 16, Kovac sounded a cautious note. "Lille are strong on the ball, but Barcelona will top that by a lot," he said. "We'll need to maximise our possession and defend smartly when we don't have it. We've got good players, good pace, we can hurt teams."

Dortmund's domestic struggles have taken a backseat to their European heroics, but Barcelona's scintillating form promises a colossal test. Lille, meanwhile, bow out after just their third home defeat in 17 matches across all competitions, with boss Paulo Fonseca now focused on securing a Champions League return via Ligue 1.

An X update from Dortmund's official account hailed the victory: "What a night in Lille! Comeback kings strike again, on to the quarters!" Kovac, meanwhile, posted: "Proud of the lads. Big fight, big result. Now we prepare for the next challenge."