Ferran Torres’s strike earned Barcelona a tense 1-0 win at Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday, 4 October 2023 which coach Xavi Hernandez mentioned “got rid of ghosts” the membership had from earlier years.
Barcelona have been eradicated in the opening stage in the previous two editions, however this hard-fought triumph on the highway places them in a robust place as Group H leaders to keep away from a 3rd consecutive strike-out.
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Will Barcelona handle the journey?
Xavi mentioned the journey to the north of Portugal can be the toughest group sport, and his group needed to dig deep, surviving a penalty which was cancelled after a VAR assessment and an offside objective in the gripping remaining phases.
Barca midfielder Gavi was despatched off in stoppage time for a second yellow card because the Catalans clung on desperately to safe victory.
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“We lacked a lot of calm, a lot of patience (but) this is Europe, it’s Porto, it’s away from home, everything is hard, very hard,” Xavi advised reporters after his one hundredth sport as Barca coach.
“If we talk about negatives, there are a lot, but if we talk about positives, there are a lot too. “We came from having ‘ghosts’, but now we’ve got rid of them. We were able to win away from home against a historic team.”
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Five-time champions Barcelona final received the competitors in 2015, with the years since suffering from wrestle and failure on the continent. Xavi chosen teen Lamine Yamal on the fitting wing, making him the youngest starter in Champions League historical past at 16 years and 83 days.
The teenager confirmed some vivid sparks in the primary half, however largely, Porto was on high, reducing by means of a Barcelona midfield shorn of the injured Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
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Romeu had a troublesome night time certainly
Barcelona holding midfielder Oriol Romeu endured a troublesome night time, with Porto harrying him at each attainable second, roared on by a packed Dragao stadium. Brought in from Girona to exchange Sergio Busquets, the job is proving a giant one for the previous Southampton and Chelsea man to deal with.
He was lucky to keep away from a yellow card in the primary half, however his team-mates Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo and Gavi went into the ebook — together with coach Xavi. Mehdi Taremi appealed for a penalty early on after Jules Kounde took a handful of his shirt in the realm, however it will have been tender.
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At the opposite finish, Joao Felix was concerned in Barcelona’s finest attacking moments, to a cacophony of whistles from Porto followers who had not forgotten his Benfica previous.
The Eagles beat Porto in the Portuguese Clasico final week, which Felix mentioned would solely inspire his previous rivals even additional. However, Porto midfielder Romario Baro misplaced focus simply earlier than half-time, and it proved pricey for his facet, who had greater than held their very own.
Romario’s under-hit go was simply stolen by Ilkay Gundogan, who threaded by means of Torres. The Spanish ahead, who changed injured hitman Robert Lewandowski earlier in the primary half, rolled dwelling a low strike beneath Diogo Costa.
Barca stored Porto at bay by all means
Jules Kounde made an excellent sort out, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen twice denied Galeno as Barcelona did every little thing they may to maintain Porto at bay. Ronald Araujo had cramp, and Yamal needed to be taken off with a abdomen drawback, with Barca’s issues mounting.
Referee Anthony Taylor awarded Porto a penalty with 10 minutes to go after Cancelo dealt with in the field, however after a VAR assessment, the choice for an earlier handball by Stephen Eustaquio.
Taremi then scored an excellent overhead kick, however he was offside as he met winger Pepe’s cheeky scooped go, with Barcelona holding on for the three factors regardless of Gavi’s late dismissal.
“We had been talking about it; this match was worth half of the qualification,” Torres advised Movistar. “It was a win that we needed to get nonetheless we are able to, and we confirmed that we’re good with the ball, however we all know find out how to undergo with out it too.
“Football is about taking advantage of opposition mistakes — they put us under a lot of high pressure. The important thing, in the end, is the three points.”
© Agence France-Presse
