Barça 3-1 BVB: Recap

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Group winners!

Barcelona have won Group F and will play in the knockout stages of the 2019-20 season of the Champions League thanks to a big 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at Camp Nou. Barça weren’t the usual garbage from previous weeks and actually looked good at times against a dangerous Dortmund team, and Lionel Messi put on a show once again with a goal and two assists to send Barça to the Round of 16.

FIRST HALF

It was a shaky start for Barça as their defense allowed Dortmund one or two very dangerous chances, but it didn’t take long for the Blaugrana to take control and start creating chances through some really nice runs by the full-backs and a very active Lionel Messi looking to link up with his teammates around the box.

And then the goals came: the first was ruled out for offside when Luis Suárez was a little too eager to make a run before Messi had time to make the pass, but the plan worked the second time when Leo found the Uruguayan for an easy finish. Three minutes later the home team took advantage of a horrible pass by Mats Hummels, Messi and Suárez made a very nice one-two and the captain found the back of the net.

At halftime Barça were playing well and in complete control, and they looked set to win the game and the group.

SECOND HALF

Barça made it clear they wanted to give Dortmund the ball and try to kill the game on the counter, and it felt like a third goal was inevitable with every crazy run by Messi. And in one of those the captain made a brilliant pass to Antoine Griezmann for a very nice finish, and Barça had the win — and the group — in the bag.

Dortmund did not give up after conceding the third and continued to attack and made positive substitutions to have more players going forward, and they got a goal back thanks to a beautiful strike by Jadon Sancho. The young Englishman came off the bench and was a huge threat, and if not for a huge save by Ter Stegen he would have made it 3-2 with five minutes go and things would have been really interesting.

But the score stayed as it was, and the final whistle came to end a big night for Barça. Decent performance, a monster Messi game, and there’s no more group stage drama.

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Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Umtiti, Lenglet, Firpo; Rakitic (Vidal 78’), Busquets, De Jong; Messi, Suárez (Wagué 90’+2), Dembélé (Griezmann 25’)

Goals: Suárez (29’), Messi (32’), Griezmann (67’)

Dortmund: Bürki; Piszczek (Zagadou 75’), Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro; Weigl (Götze 85’), Witsel; Hakimi, Reus, Schulz (Sancho 45’); Brandt

Goal: Sancho (77’)

Source: barcablaugranes.com