Xavi and all Barcelona fans asked the team for a reaction after the poor performances of the last few games. The Barça coach said that the game against Porto should not only serve as a mathematical classification for the round of 16 of the Champions League final. It also had to represent a turning point, a change of dynamic given what was coming in the league, the visits of Atlético de Madrid and Girona, two teams currently ahead in the table. Half of the goals were achieved. Triumph with goals from the Joaos and a pass that was achieved with first place in the group, not mathematically but virtually. As for the game, poor first half hour and significant improvement in the second half.
In such an important game, Yes, Iñaki Peña, the only youth player in the starting line-up, repeated in goal and covered the loss of Ter Stegen due to back pain.
However, the bet on the “sacred cows” did not work out in the first half hour of the game, where we continued to see a team that was lost on the pitch, lacked ideas, the majority of players were static and did not offer passing lines to teammate. Taking the ball out from behind was little less than a penalty for the Barça players. An advance from Frenkie de Jong and a change of direction are few solutions to an obvious problem in the game.
And so the nervousness, the accusations between the players and the chances for Porto arrived. He warned with a cross that ended with a goal from Taremi that was disallowed for offside. Iñaki Peña shined shortly after a shot from Galeno. And the third time the goal came from the other Pepe, who didn’t play for Real Madrid. The Porto player put his team in the lead by taking advantage of Iñaki Peña’s rebound after another shot from Taremi due to the passivity of the Barça defense.
The Portuguese goal tripled the nervousness in the team and in the stands. Fortunately, Barça managed to equalize the score after two minutes thanks to a solo effort from Joao Cancelo. The Portuguese, who trained at Benfica’s youth academy, showed no mercy towards his compatriots. The goal calmed Barça for a few minutes, who wasted two good opportunities to take the lead. One from Joao Félix after a counterattack by Raphinha and a brace from Pedri and Raphinha himself after a mistake by the Porto goalkeeper.
Barça’s performance in the second half was much better than the first, with a shot against the crossbar from Joao Félix as soon as it came out and a few good moves from Cancelo on the left wing, where he shone most at Manchester City and where Xavi has placed him to form three central defenders again.
The persistence of the two Portuguese players paid off. A cross from Cancelo in the first quarter of an hour of the second half was converted into a goal by the other Joao, Joao Félix, with a gentle touch with his right foot.. He ended a losing streak that had lasted since September 19 when he scored twice against Antwerp.
In the last half hour, Barça had the opportunity to put the game away, just as Porto equalized, with a great Iñaki Peña having to step up as his teammates did not have the means to score long possessions. The man from Alicante was the key to victory for Xavi’s team, which claimed an injury in the figure of Cancelo, one of the best men on the field.
