Thousands of Portuguese fans anticipated this Tuesday, with chants and flares in the Plaza España, a bitter night for the Barcelonafor whom only victory was enough to certify his place in the round of 16 Champions League virtually first in the group if he did not want to unnecessarily complicate his life on the last day.
The Catalans still remember the fateful elimination in the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt, unusual not only because the Catalan team started as favorites, but also because of the presence of so many German fans at the Camp Nou.
However, unlike their last games, Barça started with enthusiasm, warning at the beginning of the match with a shot from Raphael Dias ‘Raphinha’ and trying to play easier, something they asked for. Xavi Hernandez in the last games. The local fans’ joy would last little with Pepê’s goal half an hour into the match, although Xavi Hernández’s team quickly responded through Joao Cancelo – today practically on the left wing – who equalized the score after a great personal play. The joy returned in Montjuïc, only interrupted by the whistles at Pepe, who was reunited with the fans of his eternal enemy during his ten seasons as a Real Madrid player.
From the tie, Barça dominated the duel and changed its face in the first moments of the second half, which once again activated the fans, unaccustomed to such an offensive Barça after the bad feelings of the last appearances in League and ‘Champions’. And this is how, in the 57th minute, the combination between the Joaos ended with the third goal of the season from Félix, who had not scored in a Barça outfit for two months, specifically in the match in which he scored a double against the Antwerp.
The last time the Catalan club played in the round of 16 of the Champions League was in the 2020-2021 season, in which they were eliminated in that same section of the competition against PSG. Since then, the Blaugranas have fallen in the group stage in the two following seasons, being relegated to playing in the Europa League, a trophy that they were unable to add to their showcases after falling in the quarterfinals and round of 16, respectively.
This pass to the next round of the Champions League is, beyond a sporting and economic stimulus – they will earn 9.6 million euros for their classification -, a boost of self-esteem in the face of the next league clashes against Atlético de Madrid and Girona at home, this time with its fans motivated.
EFE
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2023-11-29 15:20:36
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