Champions League

Torres’ Late Goal Earns Barca Narrow Win at Porto

October 5, 2023

Ferran Torres secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Barcelona against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday, marking coach Xavi Hernandez’s 100th game in charge.

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Barcelona, who suffered early exits in the past two editions of the tournament, find themselves in a strong position as Group H leaders to avoid a third consecutive group stage elimination following this tense away win.

Xavi had previously acknowledged that the trip to northern Portugal would be the most challenging group game, and his team had to endure a nail-biting encounter, including surviving a penalty scare that was overturned after a VAR review and a disallowed offside goal in the intense final moments.

In the dying moments of the match, Barcelona midfielder Gavi received a second yellow card, leaving the Catalans clinging to their hard-earned victory.

All Goals & Highlights: Porto 0-1 Barcelona

“This match was crucial; we had been talking about it. It was a win we had to grind out, showcasing our ability to both control the game and endure pressure,” remarked Ferran Torres in an interview with Movistar. “Football is about capitalizing on the opposition’s errors. They pressed us aggressively, but in the end, it’s the three points that matter.”

Xavi introduced 16-year-old Lamine Yamal on the right wing, making him the youngest starter in Champions League history at just 16 years and 83 days. While the teenager displayed moments of promise in the first half, Porto largely dominated, cutting through a Barcelona midfield that was missing the injured Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

Barcelona’s holding midfielder, Oriol Romeu, faced a challenging evening as Porto relentlessly pressured him throughout the match, with the boisterous Dragao stadium crowd providing vocal support.

Tasked with replacing Sergio Busquets, Romeu’s role proved to be a formidable one, and he was fortunate to avoid a yellow card in the first half. However, his teammates Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, and Gavi all received bookings, as did coach Xavi himself.

Porto’s Mehdi Taremi appealed for a penalty early on after Jules Kounde tugged at his shirt in the area, but it would have been a soft decision.

On the other end, Joao Felix played a crucial role in Barcelona’s best attacking moments, despite facing a chorus of boos from Porto fans who still remembered his time at Benfica. Felix had helped Benfica defeat Porto in the Portuguese Clasico just a week prior, and he knew that this history added to the tension.

However, just before halftime, Porto midfielder Romario Baro made a costly error. His under-hit pass was easily intercepted by Ilkay Gundogan, who then set up Ferran Torres. Torres, who had come on as a substitute for the injured Robert Lewandowski earlier in the first half, calmly slotted a low shot past Diogo Costa to give Barcelona the lead.

Early in the second half, Jules Kounde and Joao Felix both received yellow cards as Barcelona worked hard to fend off Porto’s attacks. Kounde made a remarkable challenge to dispossess Pepe from behind just as the latter was preparing to shoot, having broken through toward Barcelona’s goal.

Porto continued to apply pressure, with Taremi narrowly missing with a header and Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, making two crucial saves from Galeno’s efforts.

Referee Anthony Taylor initially awarded Porto a penalty with 10 minutes left after Cancelo handled the ball in the box. However, a VAR review reversed the decision, citing an earlier handball by Stephen Eustaquio.

Taremi did manage to score a spectacular overhead kick, but it was ruled out for offside as he met a cheeky scooped pass from winger Pepe. Despite Gavi’s late dismissal, Barcelona held on for the valuable three points.