Barcelona “lost” against Antwerp in the Champions League

He Barcelona gave Antwerp (3-2) their first win in the Champions League in another forgettable match, but progressed to the round of 16 as first in Group H thanks to Porto’s win against Shakhtar Donetsk, sqThat was enough for him to pass to the next round as second.

The game had just started when Iñaki Peña committed Oriol Romeo in the first release of Barca’s ball. The Catalan midfielder, with a bad profile, gave the ball to Vermeeren, who in the penalty area of ​​his own volition hammered home the visitors’ goal for 1-0.

The scenario of the match unexpectedly turned in just a minute and a half, and Barça did not handle the blow well. Hurt in pride, worried and rash, he could not circulate the ball thoughtfully and disturb Butez’s goal until the equalizer in the 35th minute.

The author was Ferran Torres, who flew into the heart of the pitch to get in front of the Belgian defense and finished off an assist from Lamine Yamal. Until then, those of Xavi They didn’t even have a shot on goal, in another flat first half, even for a team that, as coach Egarense assures, is still under construction.

The coach of the Barca team was resting Araujo and Joaos – Cancelo and Fèlix– and fielded a completely new midfield with Romeu, Sergi Roberto and Fermín, alongside reserve team defender Héctor Fort making his debut at right-back.

But the rotations cannot justify the first act in which his men failed to steal the ball from Antwerp, which, while it did not worry Peña again, approached the opposition area with some danger and suffered virtually no problems at the back.

Things did not improve for Barcelona at the start of the second half. Italian judge Marko Guida Janssen’s goal was disallowed for a challenge seven minutes before the Antwerp striker made it 2-1, this time legally.

In the photo, he came out again Romeo, whom Yusuf He stole his wallet before scoring for Janssen, who held off his duel with Kounde and headed the goal into Peña’s exit.
Before the second local goal, Lamine Yamal hit the crossbar with a shot, and the referee corrected the dismissal for S’s straight red card.ergi Roberto, after consultation with the VAR, realizing that his entry, with a split ball, is only worth a yellow card.

At 2-1, Xavi made a triple substitution: I cancel Gündogan and Pedri, for Fort, Romeo, who will remember that night as one of the darkest in his career, and Fermín, who will try to turn the game around in the last half hour.

The bet boosted Barca’s image thanks to Pedri’s usual clairvoyance and mobility between the lines. But even the entry of the canary failed to rehabilitate another absolutely gray game Lewandowskiwho failed to finish on goal throughout the game and who, with twenty to go, was replaced by the young Marc Guiu.

Van Bommel’s team already knew what they had to do in this last leg: defend with all their might and try to condemn the counterattack. But Barça’s dominance was translated only into a shot from the front Kounde which Butez saved without any problems until added time.

Then it appeared Marc Guiu to head a free kick taken by Gundogan the game just went into overtime. Although the guests’ joy would only last a few seconds, how long did it take for the new ball to be handed over after a local kick for Ilenikhena to go up 3-2 and bring Antwerp the first three points in the competition.

< p>The matter surrounding Barça is difficult to explain, although after two years devoted to the Europa League, it is returning to the qualifiers Champions is very good news for the irregular Barça team.