For 60 minutes on Wednesday night, Barcelona dominated Shakhtar Donetsk with virtually a fringe team. Having seven players unavailable due to injuries and suspension, manager Xavi found the right combination to put the visitors under pressure.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring for the Catalans with a voracious volley in the first half before Fermin Lopez netted the team’s second.
The dynamics slightly shifted in the Ukrainian side’s favour after their first goal, but the Blaugranas were the better team by far and held on for the win at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
Barça Universal brings you three talking points from the Catalans’ 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Three valuable points
Barcelona’s three points earned last night are worth their weight in gold. The game may not have featured the most daunting opposition for the Catalans, but the circumstances of the win hand it special value.
For starters, Xavi was without the services of multiple key stars against Shakhtar Donetsk. From Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha in attack to Frenkie de Jong, Gavi. Pedri, and Jules Kounde in midfield and defence, the manager did not have much to play with.
Having just 12 first-team players at his disposal and a key game coming up at the weekend, Xavi’s selection on the night was perfect. His lineup featured an ideal blend of youth and experience whilst also maintaining firepower on the bench.
Needless to say, Xavi showed a lot of maturity with his player management in Wednesday’s win.
Apart from the thin squad, last night’s performance has a large implication on Barcelona’s qualification to the knockout stages of the UCL. After group-stage eliminations in the past two seasons, the importance of a third straight win with such squad constraints cannot be understated.
Barcelona now sit on nine points in Group H. Just one more win in their next three group-stage fixtures will guarantee their qualification.
Fermin’s got that sass
Gavi’s suspension was a big blow to Barcelona’s midfield last night. After all, the department was already missing mainstays in Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
The lack of a third midfielder from the first team prompted Xavi to hand Fermin Lopez a start against the Ukrainians, and the youngster repaid the faith with a big performance.
The La Masia starlet was quite comfortably Barcelona’s best player last night, orchestrating the attacking play and proving to be a fearless asset in front of goal.
Fermin boasted of a certain swagger against Shakhtar, one that left the opposition defence in splits. Right from his chance in the opening period where he forced a save from Riznyk, he was a thorn in the visitors’ side.
The 20-year-old played a critical part in Barcelona’s opening goal on the night, for it was his control of Gundogan’s aerial pass that created the threat. He was unlucky to hit the post with his volley, but Ferran was there to pounce on the rebound.
Minutes later, Lopez scored his first goal for the club in the Champions League. Receiving the ball on the edge of the area, he got past two defenders with some neat footwork and hammered the ball from a tight angle. Such was the power of his shot that the goalkeeper was left helpless.
His night only got better as the game progressed. Lopez constantly created openings in the Shakhtar defence with his incisive runs and combination play. Moreover, he possessed what some of the Barcelona midfielders lack – fearlessness in front of goal.
The youngster’s tenacity was almost rewarded once again in the second half when he pummelled a shot down Shakhtar’s goal from outside the box, only to hit the post again. He found the back of the net a minute later through a well-worked header but had the goal ruled out for a minute offside.
All in all, the 20-year-old completed the game with three key passes, a goal, a virtual assist, a disallowed goal, two shots on target, three successful dribbles, and two shots striking the woodwork. The man of the match bar none.
Eyes on the Clasico
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League fixtures this week featured stark similarities.
Both teams quickly went 2-0 up on their respective nights, before being pegged back by their opponents with a goal. Eventually, both Spanish giants took three points with 2-1 scorelines.
It is only poetic that the two clubs face off on the back of similar games. After all, not much separates them on the points table as well.
Come Saturday, the two La Liga behemoths will lock horns in Montjuic in the season’s first El Clasico. The winner on the day could take over as the league leaders and gain a significant edge in the title race. All eyes, needless to say, now shift to the golden fixture.
