Barcelona had to endure a tough battle to secure a crucial three points on Wednesday, taking a significant step towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The standout observation from Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Porto was the undeniable importance of Frenkie De Jong as the linchpin of the team. In his absence, Barcelona appeared to lack both the necessary tempo and leadership. De Jong is just one of several key Barcelona players currently sidelined with injuries, and this list grew longer during their match in Portugal when Robert Lewandowski had to leave the field in the 34th minute due to what seemed to be a left leg injury. His replacement, Ferran Torres, made an immediate impact, scoring the only goal of the match just before halftime, capitalizing on a defensive blunder by Porto.
The second half of the game saw yet another VAR controversy arise when Porto’s Eustaquio appeared to earn a penalty for the home side following a tussle with Joao Cancelo, seemingly resulting in a handball by the Barcelona loanee. However, after VAR review, it was determined that the ball had made contact with Cancelo’s chest and shoulder rather than his hand.
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Despite Barcelona’s lack of ambition and composure, leading to the accumulation of eight yellow cards, including two for Gavi, who was ultimately sent off in stoppage time, they managed to complete the task and secure all three points.