After beating one of the favorites in the semi-finals with a comeback full of talent and faith against Benfica (4-5), Barça had to face them in the final with another hard-nosed bone. In a game with a lot of rhythm from the beginning, the first warning came from Merlim, who made the Catalan goalkeeper Dídac Plana shine when not even five minutes had been played. Barça did not allow themselves to be intimidated, with Adolfo trying a corner kick in response to Jesús Velasco’s team. Unlike in the semi-finals, Barça were much more involved in the game and made it difficult for the powerful Portuguese team to come close, exploiting the counterattack tool.
The first minutes of the final were spent with the defensive game prevailing, limiting the offensive actions of both sets. The opportunities have been summed up in the punctual actions of the players’ talent. Like a long shot from Sergio Lozano that deflected the Portuguese defense after a great individual action of Pito advancing meters with a powerful drive. As the minutes progressed, the Catalan team has been gaining weight in the game, serious in defensive tasks and stronger in attack. It was not worth it, however, because in any case, Sporting soon threatened Barça’s goal quickly.
Lozano opens the can
The equality on the court has been maximum, with the Portuguese team, which defended the title, being the one who came closest to imposing its story, without being able to hurt a Barça that knows how to suffer and bite. But the chances were not clear and the score continued with the initial 0-0. The clearest opportunity for Barça until then had been Matheus six minutes before the break, but the shot hit the post. Velasco’s nightmare continued with the sticks, where they already sent a pile of pitches in the semifinals against Benfica. From the misfortune with Matheus’ stick, to the ecstasy with the goal of Lozano, who opened the can with a Vaseline as fast as delicate shortly after.
The seventh goal in the Barça captain’s championship was the reward for Barça’s good game. The goal was an injection of optimism for Barça, who began to tie chances until Pito, with a cocoa, signed the second before the break. As in last year’s final, Barça started biting. And in the second half, he continued: in less than a minute, Ferrao only needed two quality touches to control the ball and send it to the back of the net after a long pass from Ortiz.
The third goal was completed by Velasco, who continued to add chances and caressed the fourth goal. Sporting did not take long to activate the goalkeeper, but Barça was superior in all respects and did not give up space at any time. A goal from Didac, less than two minutes before the end, closed the rout and opened the party for the new Champions League champion.
