Barcelona advances to the round of 16 of the Champions League

With goals Joao Cancelo and Joao Félix brought Barcelona victory this Tuesday against Port (2-1) in Lluís Compan Olympic Stadiumys and sealed the passage of the Blaugranas to the round of 16 Champions Readfor the first time in the last three seasons.

Furthermore, Barça sand took practically first place in Group H, Well, to finish second, they would have to lose away to Antwerp, a team that hasn’t won a single point in this one Champions, namely Shakhtar Donetsk will win in Porto by more than seven goals.

In his first final of the season, Xavi left on the bench Lamine Yamal, Balde and Fermín and opted for the most veterans, with a system of three center backs and I cancel opening the field practically as a left winger.

He was a Barça Well-intentioned at the start, but again unable to suggest anything about football. Frenkie de Jong’s ability to overcome driving lines was the only solution when it came to playing the ball and, when that happened, the team showed the same shortcomings as always to combine in the three-quarter line.

The sterile domestic dominance in the first ten minutes was translated into one shot by Raphinha, who tested Diogo Costa with a sharp left foot from the edge of the penalty area.

He PortOn the other hand, he felt more and more comfortable and began to hover around the goal. Iñaki Peña, who repeated ownership due to Ter Stegen’s still unhealed lower back pain.

The Portuguese cautioned against Taremi’s goal, which the referee overruled due to offside in the 26th minute. And they went on the offensive with two shots from Galen. OtherwiseOuch sadness He sent the first one into the corner, and he deflected the second one in the continuation, but this deflected shot of his will end up in the right boot of Pepê, who did not forgive 0-1 after only half an hour.

He Barcelona He didn’t have time to take the shot, because two minutes later Cancelo scored the equalizer after some great personal play on the left wing. It was just a prelude to what was to come later.

The match went into an exchange of blows in which Oh Felix He denied Barça a second goal with a shot from the penalty spot into the clouds after receiving an assist from Raphinha, and again Iñaki Peña saved Varela’s placed shot just before half-time.

Barça improved at the start of the second half, especially thanks to Joaos’ connection on the left wing. Joao Félix warned in the first game of the second half with a howitzer that hit the crossbar. AND João Cancelo He started wreaking havoc on the sidelines, looking for his compatriot at the slightest opportunity.

In one of those combinations between the two, it would be 2-1 in the 57th minute, the work of Joan Félix, who first subtly finished Cancelo.

To Lewandowski, unprecedented in shooting during the first hour of the game, he headed in shortly after the cross, of course, I cancelwho, in yet another display of technique with a changed leg, almost scored third.

Raphinha and Ferran Torres, who came on for Jao Félix, also unsuccessfully tried to extend Barca’s account. Faced with the desperation of Lewandowski, who continues, as in recent weeks, to look for more highlights from his teammates and fight with the goal and himself.

Porto, who played better or worse, spent almost the entire second half at the mercy of the Catalan team, but still had two opportunities to equalize in the last part: in a counterattack between Pepê and Taremi, They failed to finish, and Francisco Coinceiça’s shot was blocked by Iñaki Peña.

Despite this, Raphinha had the best chance with two minutes remaining in regulation time with a spectacular bicycle kick that Diogo Costa sent into the corner and would have been the goal of the night.