Barcelona made it three wins from 4 Champions League video games to this point this season on Wednesday evening, finally racking up a 5-2 win over Purple Star Belgrade within the Serbian capital.
Inigo Martinez had put Hansi Flick’s facet forward after 13 minutes, just for Silas to cancel out the benefit throughout a spell of Purple Star strain. However targets for Robert Lewandowski, his 98th and 99th within the Champions League, both facet of half-time, had been shortly adopted by one from Raphinha as Barca prevented a possible slip-up and raced out of sight.
Late strikes for both facet from Fermin Lopez and Milson added extra targets to the score-line, however the recreation had realistically been over as contest since earlier than the hour mark.
How the sport unfolded
Barcelona’s excessive line of defense was proven to be in superb working order early within the opening levels when Timi Elsnik raced clear and fired the ball past Inaki Pena. The flag went up for offside and a VAR examine agreed with that call: no aim.
Lamine Yamal quickly had a good shot saved by Marko Ilic and, as strain mounted, the sport appeared like would possibly turn into a procession for Barca when Martinez scored a superb diving header. The centre-back was within the field for a free-kick delivered by Raphinha and transformed on the far-post.
Yamal virtually laid on a second aim halfway by way of the half when he threaded a ball by way of the house defence that Raphinha was unable to get on the right track. The Catalans had been shortly punished for that miss as Silas drew Purple Star stage solely moments later latching onto a Rade Krunic cross behind the Barca defence and chipping the ball over Pena.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Purple Star had been proper within the faces of their illustrious opponents, though Lewandowski had a sniff at a Barca second when he took the ball round Ilic however was unable to regain management earlier than it ran out for a aim kick. And it was arguably towards the run of play when Lewandowski did convert, displaying fast reactions to direct Raphinha’s rebound into the online after the Brazilian’s low strike from simply outdoors the field cannoned off the within of the submit.
Barca may have had a 3rd shortly after the interval when Pedri fired simply over the bar together with his left foot because the ball fell to him after Jules Kounde’s cross hadn’t been handled. Lewandowski then by some means put a shot extensive after Purple Star had been carved open by Yamal and Raphinha. But when that was a evident gaffe, it was not possible for the Pole to overlook when he did get the third.
It was one other alternative created by Kounde, whose teasing low ball into the six-yard discovered Lewandowski on the far submit, unmarked and in entrance of an open web. And the Frenchman laid on the quickfire fourth as effectively, working into house within the inside proper channel and delivering a cutback to Raphinha on the sting of the field, adopted by a exact side-footed end.
Substitutions from each side threatened to element the momentum of the sport, but it surely was truly a substitute who scored subsequent as Lopez discovered the underside nook from the center of a crowded field. That accomplished Kounde’s hat-trick of assists, once more getting ahead and slicing the ball again.
Purple Star’s second aim was disappointing from a Barca perspective, with Seol Younger-woo allowed the time and house to pick Milson, who then reduce inside from the left and curled the ball in. There was nonetheless time for Lopez to strike the bar, however 5-2 in Barcelona’s favour was the way it completed.
GK: Inaki Pena – 5/10 – Two targets conceded from the one two photographs on the right track he confronted.
RB: Jules Kounde – 9/10 – His potential to get ahead from right-back and supply high quality supply into the field was immediately liable for three targets and created different possibilities.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – 6/10 – Put his head the place it hurts, stooping to satisfy the ball, and caught a stray boot to the face. It left him bloodied and unable to proceed.
CB: Inigo Martinez – 7/10 – Scored a tough header on the stretch to interrupt the impasse. Nevertheless it was a disgrace he was then caught out by the motion in Purple Star’s ahead line as they equalised.
LB: Gerard Martin – 5/10 – Maybe the weak hyperlink within the defence this time round, failing to win his particular person defensive battles or supply a lot going ahead.
CM: Pedri – 6/10 – Created a number of alternatives however noticed method much less of the ball than anticipated.
CM: Frenkie de Jong (c) – 7/10 – Simply over an hour in his legs and misplaced solely a single cross.
CM: Marc Casado – 7/10 – Continues to impress with each his vary of passing and off-the-ball tenacity.
RW: Lamine Yamal – 8/10 – Created possibilities at will with unimaginable imaginative and prescient to see gaps within the Purple Star defence and wasn’t petrified of taking photographs on himself.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – 8/10 – Confirmed a scientific poacher’s intuition to revive the lead shortly earlier than half-time and will hardly miss when he scored his second of the evening.
LW: Raphinha – 8/10 – Commonly concerned and it is now 13 targets and assists in his final seven video games throughout all competitions in little over a month.
Substitutes
SUB: Dani Olmo (58′ for Raphinha) – 6/10
SUB: Fermin Lopez (58′ for Pedri) – 7/10 – Scored one and will have had one other however for the woodwork.
SUB: Sergi Dominguez (67′ for Cubarsi) – 6/10
SUB: Gavi (67′ for De Jong) – 6/10
SUB: Pau Victor (78′ for Lewandowski) – 5/10
Unused subs: Wojciech Szczesny (GK), Ander Astralaga (GK), Alejandro Balde, Hector Fort, Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati.
Supervisor
Hansi Flick – 8/10 – This excessive defensive is excessive danger however excessive reward. Barca flirted with the unsuitable facet of that line on this one however once more prevailed. He is bought Raphinha singing and it has been vastly essential.
