Barça will be, three years later, in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The team led by goals from Joao Cancelo, the best of the match, and Joao Félix. The culés will be first in the group if they score against Antwerp or if the ‘Dragoes’ do not beat Shakhtar.
It was a true ‘final’ to seal a place in the round of 16 and that was noticeable in the atmosphere at Lluis Companys. The culé fiefdom registered a great entry and prepared to leave behind three long years without being among the best. Xavi responded with an eleven in which Ter Stegen was not injured, but in which there was an important surprise. Cancelo was a left back in defense and a midfielder in attack to generate superiority alongside Gündogan, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, the trio of gamers with whom to tame the always indomitable Porto.
The change of chips did not change the idea and Barça wanted to be the protagonist from the beginning. Xavi’s men pressed in the opposite field and tried to gain speed in circulation, but they ran into a rival with enough weapons to carry out an exchange of blows. And Porto knew how to jump over the first culé line and raise the decibels with each transition they carried out. That’s how Taremi and Galeno warned the race and that’s how Pepé ended up beating Iñaki Peña after a rebound in which he was faster than the entire Barça defense.
Barcelona
Iñaki Peña, Araujo, Koundé, Inigo Martinez, Cancelo (Bucket, 82nd minute), Gündogan, Pedri, De Jong, Raphinha (Lamine Yamal, 90th minute), Lewandowski and Joao Felix (Ferran Torres, 75th minute)
2
–
1
Port
Diogo Costa, Joao Mario (Jorge Sanchez, 67th minute), Fabio Cardoso (Danny Namaso, 90th minute), Pepe, Zaidu, Varela, Eustaquio (Nico, 81st minute), Pepe, Galeno (Toni Martinez, 90th minute). ), Taremi and Evanilson (Conception, min. 81).
Sips: 0-1: min. 30, Pepé. 1-1: min. 32, Cancelo. 2-1: min. 57, Joao Félix.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy). He cautioned Cardoso, De Jong, Joao Mario, Joao Félix and Pepé
Incidents: Match corresponding to the fifth day of the group stage of the Champions League, played at the Lluis Companys Stadium before 43,533 spectators.
The goal was just the starting signal for a Barça that, as usual, brought out its best version by going behind on the scoreboard. The culés responded just two minutes later with a shot from Cancelo against which Diogo Costa could do nothing and overwhelmed the Portuguese before the break with Raphinha and Joao Félix unleashed. The two created imbalances and could have given the culés an advantage by having had a better aim in the final meters.
Gündogan and De Jong put the light
After the restart, the vertigo was still very present in Lluis Companys. Barça wanted more and the two ‘Joaos’ had the keys to unlock the match. Félix warned with a shot against the crossbar and Cancelo immediately found a highway that ended with the former Atlético player scoring the second at will and finally bringing peace of mind to the Barça fans. It was the right reward for a Barça that came out more intense after passing through the locker room and knew how to subdue its rival thanks to the freshness with the ball of Gündogan and Frenkie de Jong, very lucid to start the game between centre-backs and to alternate balls in short and long to destabilize Porto.
Already with an advantage on the scoreboard, Barça wanted to anesthetize the clash. The culés enjoyed longer ball possessions and surrounded a tired Porto that seemed to reserve its strength for a final push. Xavi took advantage of this scenario to refresh the team with the entry of Ferran Torres, Balde and Lamine Yamal and thus a final stretch was reached in which the culés knew how to hold their own and reach the shore with the aim of being in the round of 16 compliment.
2023-11-28 22:16:51
#Joaos #put #Barça
