Szczęsny Commits Another Penalty in Champions League and Joins an Undesirable Club

Wojciech Szczęsny showed both sides of the coin against Borussia Dortmund. The Polish goalkeeper, who unfortunately saw his streak of undefeated matches as a 'culé' fall —which stopped at 22 matches—, was largely responsible for the score not being more lopsided in favor of the Germans. The match ended with a 3-1, where 'Tek' played an important role, making a total of eight saves and a percentage of 1.31 of goals prevented.

However, the Warsaw native also starred in an action that deserves special attention and a necessary correction, as it is one of those plays that can tip matches. The '25' was key in the first goal of Borussia Dortmund. Why? Because Szczęsny, after a somewhat careless exit, brought down Pascal Groß inside the area in the 10th minute. The action was sanctioned as a penalty without further doubt.

Penalty in favor of Dortmund after this action by Wojciech Szczęsny.#UCL #LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/KzQqQ5Jwdh

— Fútbol en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarFutbol) April 15, 2025

Fourth penalty committed in the Champions League: a worrying statistic

This penalty committed by Szczęsny increases his numbers in a not very favorable statistic: it is already the fourth penalty he has caused in the UEFA Champions League. A number that places him in a small group of players with the most penalties committed in the history of the tournament, being only surpassed by Nicolás Otamendi (6) and Pepe (5).

Players with the most penalties committed in the history of the Champions League:

• Nicolás Otamendi: 6
• Pepe: 5
• Wojciech Szczęsny: 4
• Clément Lenglet: 4
• Dani Carvajal: 4
• Lúcio: 4
• Casemiro: 4
• Tomas Galásek: 4
• Naldo: 4

Szczęsny, a repeat offender: it's not his first penalty with Barça in the Champions League

It should be remembered that this is not the first time that Szczęsny has committed a penalty with the FC Barcelona elastic. In this same edition of the Champions League, during the group stage against SL Benfica (4-5), the Pole committed an infraction on Kerem Aktürkoğlu, which also resulted in a goal against. A warning sign for Hansi Flick and his technical staff, as these repeated actions could be costly in decisive matches.

History of penalties committed by Szczęsny in the Champions League

1. Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich

📅 February 19, 2014 – Round of 16 (first leg)
🟥 Penalty committed on Arjen Robben. He was sent off.
⚽ David Alaba missed the penalty.

2. Arsenal vs. Galatasaray

📅 October 1, 2014 – Group stage
🟥 Penalty committed on Burak Yilmaz. He was sent off.
⚽ Burak Yilmaz converted the penalty.

3. FC Barcelona vs. SL Benfica

📅 January 21, 2025 – Group stage
⚠️ Penalty called for a foul on Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
⚽ Vangelis Pavlidis scored.

4. Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Barcelona

📅 April 15, 2025 – Quarterfinals (second leg)
⚠️ Penalty committed on Pascal Groß.
⚽ Guirassy scored from the penalty spot.

What's next for 'Tek' and Barça

Now, with FC Barcelona qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25, it remains to be seen how Szczęsny's performance evolves in this facet. The 'Azulgrana' team still has several matches to play, and security under the three sticks will be key if the Catalan team wants to continue dreaming of lifting the 'Orejona'.