Porto 0-1 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points as Barca secure narrow win under controversial circumstances | UEFA Champions League 2023-24
Barcelona defeated FC Porto 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, October 4.
The Dragons entered this contest on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of bitter rivals SL Benfica. Sergio Conceicao's team were down to 10 men in that contest as Fabio Cardoso was sent off in the first half. However, the manager fielded a full strength lineup for this game.
Barca, on the other hand, secured a narrow 1-0 win over Sevilla in their last game thanks to an own goal by Sergio Ramos. They knew they needed a positive result away from home as Xavi Hernandez fielded a strong side.
The first half saw Barcelona come out of the blocks with a clear intention to retain the ball and force Porto into making mistakes. The visitors kept the ball for 62% of the first half, attempting eight shots with three of those on target. Porto, on the other hand, attempted five shots with two on target.
Barca suffered an injury setback as Robert Lewandowski was forced off and replaced by Ferran Torres. However, the substitute rose to the occasion and scored to make it 1-0 on the cusp of half time as Xavi's men carried a narrow lead into the break.
The second half saw the hosts put in a spirited display in search of a way back into the game as Barca only just edged the possession stats 51 to 49. To make matters worse, the Catalans had just one shot on target from six second-half attempts.
Porto had two opportunities to get back into the game but the first one was a reversed penalty call, while the second one was a lovely overhead kick goal by Mehdi Taremi, which was ruled out.
Barca held onto their narrow lead despite multiple late scares and secured a 1-0 win. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from this game.
#5. Robert Lewandowski's injury is not as serious as it first seemed
Lewandowski was in a pile following a hard challenge by an opponent and was seen clutching his left shin. He stayed on the turf for quite some time and could not continue, as Ferran Torres replaced him.
Initially, it seemed as though the Pole has suffered a serious injury, considering his reaction and the fact he was subbed off. However, several Barcelona pages have since reported that his substitution was merely a precaution and that Lewandowski will not be out for too long.
#4. Substitute Ferran Torres gave Barcelona the lead with a lovely finish
Barca put Porto on the back foot with their possession-based style of play and controlled the tempo of the game. They were rewarded for their persistence late in the first period as Torres grabbed the go-ahead goal.
Ilkay Gundogan was the creator for the goal as he played the Spaniard through with a lovely weighted pass between two defenders. Torres did the rest as he slotted the ball past Diogo Costa with a calm finish.
#3. Porto had a penalty canceled and Mehdi Taremi's acrobatic effort ruled out
Porto thought they had a chance to get back into the game as a penalty was awarded for a handball by Joao Cancelo. However, VAR intervened and the referee decided that Stephen Eustaquio handled the ball before Cancelo and the decision was reversed.
Shortly after that, Mehdi Taremi seemed to have grabbed the equalizer for Porto with an acrobatic finish. However, the goal was ruled out for offside as the hosts continued their search for a leveler.
#2. Gavi was sent off for a silly pull on an opponent
Having already been booked for a clumsy tackle in the first period, Gavi needed to be careful as he was at the risk of being sent off. Barcelona could ill afford to play with 10 men with just a one-goa cushion but the young Spaniard was continuously involved in duels.
He finally went over the boiling point as he committed a silly foul near the halfway line which prompted the referee to show him a second yellow card, and subsequently give him his marching orders.
Gavi will miss Barcelona's next Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk.
#1. Barcelona take control of Group H with two wins in two games
Having already dispatched Royal Antwerp 5-0 in their Champions League opener, Barca made it two wins in two games with a 1-0 win over Porto.
Xavi's men now sit comfortably atop Group H with six points, with second-placed Porto on three points, tied with third-placed Shakhtar.
The result puts Barcelona in a commanding position to qualify as group winners.