Messi-less Barca advance to Champions League Last 16
FC Barcelona secured progression to the UEFA Champions League last 16 with a 4-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Clement Lenglet, Miralem Pjanic and Pedri featured for Barca, with Lionel Messi and Frenkie De Jong not in the match day squad and Antoine Griezmann on the bench.
Four down, two to go. pic.twitter.com/UevIVpwhve
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020
Promising signs from the home side minutes from the start left the LaLiga giants in a worrying state across all compartments.
Barcelona missed a good chance just after the half-hour mark through Francisco Trincao, who worked through the defence before taking aim but was stopped at first glance.
Carlos de Pena was on course to hand Kyiv the lead just before halftime following a cross-cum shot from the left-side, but it was beaten away by Ter Stegen.
Kyiv started the second half how the first ended as Benjamin Verbic found space around the near post from a tight angle to bring Ter Stegen to a smart save following a close-range strike.
The Catalans seized control on 52 minutes after Sergio Dest arrived in the area to slide home a return pass from Martin Braithwaite from an overlapping run.
Braithwaite then slipped in unmarked in the area five minutes later to give Barca a second with a smart finish off a ball from Oscar Garcia.
Ronaldo Koeman refreshed his side with three changes midway through the second half, as Jordi Alba, Riqui Puig and Griezmann came on.
FULL TIME! pic.twitter.com/1pgUDV416I
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020
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Barcelona made it three from the penalty spot on 70 minutes as Braithwaite succumbed to a push in the area from Denys Popov, thus stood up to convert comfortably.
Griezmann gave the Blaugrana a fourth in at the death with a thumping finish after getting on the end of a ball from Jordi Alba, as it ended 4-0.