Digimagaz.com – Barcelona emerged victorious in a thrilling UEFA Champions League encounter, defeating Shakhtar Donetsk with a final score of 2-1 in the matchday 3 clash of the 2023/2024 season. The match took place at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys on Wednesday night, October 25, 2023.
The triumph for Barcelona was orchestrated by two remarkable goals, one each from Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez. Shakhtar Donetsk managed to narrow the gap with a goal from Heorhiy Sudakov. As a result of this victory, Barcelona now stands firmly atop the Group H standings with 9 points, while Shakhtar currently occupies the third position with 3 points.
The Course of the Match
Barcelona wasted no time in asserting their dominance from the onset of the match. However, despite several opportunities, including chances created by Fermin Lopez and Oriol Romeu, they failed to convert their early pressure into goals. It was only on the 28th minute that Barcelona managed to break the deadlock. Ferran Torres capitalized on a rebound and slotted the ball into the net, initially having his goal disallowed but later confirmed by VAR.
Barcelona extended their lead to 2-0 in the 36th minute, thanks to a goal by Fermin Lopez, with Torres providing the assist this time. The score remained 2-0 as the teams headed into the halftime break. As the match resumed after halftime, Barcelona continued to dominate proceedings.
They appeared to have scored another goal through Torres, but this time he was flagged for offside. However, Barcelona’s joy was short-lived, as Shakhtar Donetsk found the back of the net in the 62nd minute. Heorhiy Sudakov capitalized on a quick counter-attack to beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal.
Despite several attempts by Barcelona to extend their lead, they were unable to find the back of the net again. Shakhtar Donetsk had a golden opportunity to level the score but failed to capitalize on it. As a result, the match concluded with a score of 2-1 in favor of Barcelona.
Player Lineups
Barcelona
- Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
- Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez (Andreas Christensen 82′), Marcos Alonso (Alejandro Balde 70′)
- Midfielders: Fermin Lopez (Marc Casado 82′), Oriol Romeu, Ilkay Gundogan
- Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Joao Felix (Marc Guiu 75′)
Coach: Xavi
Shakhtar Donetsk
- Goalkeeper: Dmytro Riznyk
- Defenders: Yukhym Konoplia, Valerii Bondar, Mykola Matvyenko, Irakli Azarovi
- Midfielders: Taras Stepanenko (Eguinaldo 90′), Oleksandr Zubkov, Artem Bondarenko, Heorhiy Sudakov, Dmytro Kryskiv (Newerton 63′)
- Forward: Danylo Sikan (Kevin Kelsy 70′)
Coach: Marino Pusic
With this important victory, Barcelona solidified their position at the top of Group H in the Champions League, while Shakhtar Donetsk will need to regroup and strive for better results in the coming matches to improve their standing in the group. Football fans worldwide eagerly await the next exciting fixtures in this prestigious competition.