Barcelona U19s into UEFA Youth League Final After Eliminating Manchester City

Barça won a wild shootout by the score of 5-4

FC Barcelona’s Juvenil A side are through to the final of the UEFA Youth League after a chaotic 5-4 win over Manchester City in Nyon, Switzerland. Barça will now face Chelsea’s youth team, who defeated FC Porto on penalties in the other semifinal.

Francisco García Pimienta’s boys got themselves into a very strong position but nearly gave it away, having at one point led 5-2, before just narrowly avoiding giving up their lead over 10-man City.

Carles Pérez scored within 10 minutes, though Joel Latibaeudiere got the sides level just 10 minutes after. Then Álex Collado scored to put Barça back in front, 2-1, just three minutes after, but Barcelona’s joy was short lived as Lukas Nmecha got the sides level yet again the minute after. The score was 2-2 after just 23 minutes.

That’s when Riqui Puig broke the deadlock in the Catalans’ favor yet again, and with the score at 3-2, City’s Lorenzo Gonzalez was sent off for two fouls. With a man advantage, Barcelona enjoyed perhaps their best spell of the match, through a flurry of attacks before the half. Peréz scored again and then so did Alejandro Marqués. This meant Barça went into the half with a commanding 5-2 advantage.

Barça tried to take the sting out of the game by holding the ball, but City showed great determination in getting back into the game despite being a man down. Rabbi Matondo scored in the 69th to make it 5-3, and then, five minutes from time, Nmecha scored again to make it 5-4. City showed belief they could bring the game level, and Barça started losing composure, but the Catalans survived the scare.

Now, they will face Chelsea in the final.

Source: barcablaugranes.com