2023-11-28 22:57:08
Barcelona (AFP) – Obrigado les Joao! Supported by its two Portuguese recruits Joao Cancelo and Joao Félix, FC Barcelona ensured its qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League by beating FC Porto (2-1) on the 5th day.
Published on: 11/28/2023 – 11:57 p.m. Modified on: 11/28/2023 – 11:55 p.m.
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Barcelona has finally chased away its ghosts. After two consecutive eliminations in the group stage, the five-time winner of the competition will return to the eighth for the first time since the arrival of Xavi Hernandez on his bench in 2021.
“It was a final and we won it, which is the most important thing. We qualify the club for the eighth, where it deserves to be” summarized Joao Cancelo, elected man of the match, on Movistar.
Under pressure at kick-off after Shaktar Donetsk’s victory over Antwerp (1-0), which they will face on the last day, Barça is in fact almost guaranteed to finish first in Group H with 12 points.
Only a large defeat on Belgian soil, coupled with a victory for the Ukrainians in their duel with Porto, will be able to drop the Barcelonans to second place.
Second with nine points, Porto will play its qualification in a final against the Ukrainian club, which has returned to its level.
This fourth success in five C1 matches this season for the Catalans validates the first objective of the season set by their coach, and somewhat removes the doubts surrounding their performances.
The “Joao” shine
For this match which he described as “crucial”, the Catalan technician had returned to his 4-3-3 which evolves into 3-4-3 in the offensive phase by starting Joao Cancelo on the left wing and Ilkay Gundogan in the heart of the game in place of Oriol Romeu.
Joao Cancelo, scorer for Barça against Porto, November 28, 2023 in Barcelona © Josep LAGO / AFP
Criticized for the poor quality of his team’s play, he hoped to give it more momentum.
But, as is often the case this season, Barça had to fall behind for their men to start playing with more intensity.
The inexperienced Spanish goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who was playing only his second C1 match in place of Ter Stegen, injured in the back, postponed the deadline several times after an offside goal from Taremi (27th).
Feverish on each of his restarts, he had a firm hand against Galeno (29th), then Taremi and Evanilson, but was unable to do anything on the recovery of the Brazilian Pepe, who had followed well at the far post, left free by De Jong and Cancelo, too wait-and-see (30th, 1-0).
The Portuguese full-back, poorly placed in this action, avoided a cold sweat for the Barcelona residents by equalizing in the wake of a clear shot from the right (32nd, 1-1) which found its way into Diogo Costa’s small net.
A goal all the more special for the former hope of Benfica, Porto’s great rival, loaned by Manchester City during the last day of the summer transfer window.
His compatriot Joao Félix, also on loan from Atlético Madrid and whose debut in the jersey was full of promise, showed himself at the end of the first period before hitting the bar after returning from the locker room (46th).
Mute for more than two months and his double against Antwerp (5-0), the striker also trained at Benfica liberated the Olympic stadium of Montjuic by taking a perfect cross from Cancelo with the flat of the right foot (57th, 2 -1).
A success achieved with pain, but on which the Catalans will be able to rely after a bad patch following the defeat in the Clasico against Real Madrid (2-1) last October.
The reigning Spanish champion now has a meeting with Antoine Griezmann’s Atlético Madrid on Sunday to confirm his rebound.
© 2023 AFP
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