Barcelona secured a narrow 1-0 win over FC Porto away at Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night to go atop Group H in the UEFA Champions League.
Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game on the night in Portugal after having come on to replace the injured Robert Lewandowski in the first half.
Barça were put under intense pressure by the hosts and even had a penalty call against them get overturned while goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen also made some important stops to keep Porto out.
Ter Stegen: Barça shouldn’t put pressure on themselves
It has been a tough ride for Barcelona in the Champions League in recent years and the history does weigh on the team to some extent.
But, captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen insisted that the Blaugrana should leave the ghosts of the past behind and not put themselves under undue pressure, as he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo):
“We have to leave the ghosts behind us, we don’t need to put pressure on ourselves. We have a different team, we played a more or less good game, above all, we were good in defence, although we had a few mistakes at the end.”
On the victory against Porto, he added: “It was hard fought but in the end, we got a very important victory away from home, which is another step forward.”
Further stressing on the toll that the game took on the team, Ter Stegen remarked: “It was a hard-fought victory, Araujo finished with a limp, some others ended up with a limp due to the demands of the game. We are left with the sensation of knowing how to suffer.”
Late in the second half, Lamine Yamal had to go off the pitch due to a stomach problem, as confirmed by Xavi, which left Barça down to ten men for an extended period.
When asked about the incident, Ter Stegen said: “I didn’t even notice, we were down to ten men three times.”
Ter Stegen also took the opportunity to congratulate manager Xavi on his contract renewal and the fact that Barça won in his 100th game in charge of the team, as he said:
“I think it’s important for him, to congratulate him because he has changed our mentality and the way we understand football. Congratulations on the renewal and let’s hope for many more years.”
Kounde calls for improvement
Jules Kounde also interacted with the media after the hard-fought victory against Porto and highlighted how crucial the result was for Barcelona, but also called for improvements.
“The Champions League is a very difficult competition and it’s an important result, although we know we have to improve,” the defender said, as quoted by SPORT.
Diving into how Porto made things difficult for the Catalans on the night, Kounde remarked:
“We suffered too much and we weren’t able to apply the game plan we had. They bothered us a lot with their pressing and we couldn’t get out well, especially in the first half, but when we were able to triangulate we hurt them and that’s how we got the winning goal.”
One of the standout moments of the game saw Kounde deny Pepe a goalscoring opportunity with a stunning last-minute challenge inside the box and celebrated it with great passion.
Elaborating on the moment, Kounde said: “There was no other way. He’s gone behind my back, but I go on the run with him and make an inside touch that allows me to get the ball away from him. It’s always a satisfying action for a defender, because it helps to win.”
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