Barcelona secured their spot in the Champions League knockout stages with a significant 2-1 triumph over Porto on Tuesday.
Facing the prospect of a challenging final day with a defeat, Barcelona initially fell behind to Pepe’s first-half goal. However, Joao Cancelo quickly equalized, igniting a resurgence for his team.
The first 25 minutes showcased an exciting exchange, with Raphinha testing Diogo Costa’s goalkeeping skills. Despite Barcelona’s dominance in possession and lively attacks, Porto remained a counter-attacking threat.
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A clever back-heel by Mehdi Taremi, seemingly opening the scoring, was denied by the offside flag and confirmed by VAR. Undeterred, Porto intensified their efforts, leading to Pepe’s close-range strike that put them in the lead.
Fortunately for Barcelona, Cancelo responded promptly, cutting inside and unleashing a curling shot into the bottom corner to level the score just after the half-hour mark.
Joao Felix, previously struggling to find his scoring form, hit the crossbar shortly after the restart but eventually found the net by tapping in Cancelo’s cut-back, giving Barcelona a deserved lead.
Despite Felix’s chance hitting the woodwork and Raphinha’s attempt going wide, Porto failed to mount a comeback. Barcelona maintained control in the second half, securing a comfortable victory and topping Group H.