Barcelona prepared for Saturday’s Clasico with a hard-fought 2-1 Champions League win against Shakhtar Donetsk, extending their unbeaten run this season.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark with a powerful strike that was initially disallowed for offside but later awarded.
Barcelona doubled their lead just before half-time, as Fermin Lopez netted his first-ever Champions League goal.
Despite a disallowed goal by Torres in the 59th minute, Shakhtar managed to pull one back through Georgiy Sudakov, making it 2-1.
Shakhtar continued to press for an equalizer, but Barcelona held on to maintain their perfect record in the group stage.
This result takes the group leaders to nine points, while the Ukrainian champions remain in third place with three points.
Mario Pusic, who was appointed as Shakhtar’s boss just days before the match, faced a tough challenge against the La Liga champions.
Shakhtar’s goalkeeper, Dmytro Riznyk, was kept busy in the early stages, making a crucial save to deny Lopez.
In the 28th minute, Barcelona’s relentless pressure paid off when Torres scored following Lopez’s initial attempt that hit the woodwork. The goal was initially disallowed but later awarded after a VAR review.
Torres turned into an assist-provider, setting up Lopez for Barcelona’s second goal, which he slotted in off the post.
Despite their two-goal lead at halftime, Barcelona came out confidently in the second half, with Torres having a goal disallowed for offside.
Shakhtar then pulled a goal back against the run of play, with Sudakov scoring at the near post after latching onto Irakli Azarov’s through ball.
Barcelona quickly tried to regain their two-goal lead, and Lopez hit the post with a low strike, but his headed effort was ruled offside.
With the score still 2-1, Shakhtar started to believe they could salvage a point in the closing minutes.
In the final 10 minutes, Shakhtar’s captain, Taras Stepanenko, narrowly missed the target with a first-time shot from Azarov’s delivery.
However, time ran out for the visitors as Barcelona held on for the win, heading into their crucial clash with rivals Real Madrid on Saturday.
Shakhtar will have the opportunity to seek revenge when they face Xavi’s side in the return fixture on November 7.
