On 19 September, one of the matches of the Champions League in football took place. Barcelona (Spain) and Antwerp (Belgium) met.
Champions League
Barcelona (Spain) - Antwerp (Belgium) - 5:0 ( 3:0)
Goals: Joao Felix (11), Lewandowski (19), J. Bataille (22), Gavi (54), Joao Felix (66).
Warnings: Gavi (36)
Barcelona defeated Antwerp in a UEFA Champions League match. In a match played at the Estadi Olympique Lluis Compagnies, Barcelona scored an impressive 5-0 win over Antwerp. Barcelona showed their skill and attacking prowess from the very first minutes, not letting their opponents come to their senses. The first half started at a tense pace and Barcelona quickly took control of the game. Joao Felix opened the scoring in the 11th minute, infuriating the crowd. Just eight minutes later, Robert Lewandowski joined in, increasing Barcelona's lead to 2-0. Antwerp found themselves in a difficult position trying to contain Barcelona's onslaught. In the 22nd minute Barcelona took advantage of a goal scored by Antwerp's J. Bataille. As disappointing as this was for the visiting team, it further strengthened Barcelona's dominance in the match. Despite their efforts, Antwerp failed to get back into the game and went into the break with an impressive 3-0 scoreline. In the second half, Barcelona continued to control the game, leaving Antwerp with only limited opportunities for counter-attacks. Young and promising midfielder Gavi further increased Barcelona's lead with an impressive goal in the 54th minute. In the 58th minute Barcelona made their first substitution: F. de Jong was replaced by O. Romeu. Unexpectedly, Gavi was replaced by F. Lopez, who scored a goal.
It seems that the Barcelona manager was fully confident in his abilities and decided to give rest to the key players, while keeping the team's game intact. In the 60th minute, Antwerp made three substitutions in a row, hoping that the fresh energies would give them a fighting chance. However, Barcelona's dominance was unstoppable and Joao Felix continued his impressive play, scoring another goal in the 66th minute. Barcelona's 4-0 victory seemed inevitable. As the match progressed, both teams made additional substitutions to introduce fresh faces into the game and give the players a break. In the 68th minute, Rafinha came on in place of F. Torres for Barcelona, and Joao Felix came on in place of L. Yamal. In the 73rd minute, Antwerp's J. Bataille was replaced by G. Kerk in search of a consolation goal. The last substitution for Barcelona came in the 76th minute, with J. Cancelo replacing S. Roberto, which further increased the tension on the pitch. Antwerp also made a substitution: A. Muja replaced A. Valencia in the 83rd minute. Despite these changes, neither team was able to change the final score. With a confident 5-0 victory, Barcelona showed their strength and skill in the UEFA Champions League game against Antwerp. Barcelona's relentless attacks left Antwerp defenceless and in the end Barcelona suffered a defeat that they are keen to put behind them. Barcelona's dominant performance at the Estadi Olympique Lluís Compagnies Stadium showed their championship ambitions and made the fans eager to see what lies ahead of them in the tournament.
The following matches await the opponents in the next round: Porto vs Barcelona, Antwerp vs Shakhtar.
| Barcelona | Antwerp | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kicks to the goal | 1 |
| 22 | Kicks | 3 |
| 7 | Blocked shots | 0 |
| 19 | Penalty kicks | 2 |
| 3 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 1 |
| 10 | Offences | 8 |
| 10 | Corners | 2 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 70% | Ball possession | 30% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 0 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 5 |
| 799 | Total assists | 343 |
| 748 | Accurate assists | 292 |
| 94% | Accuracy of passes | 85% |