Barca's young turks fired 4 past bate as they were left cluless as young men filled the boots.
Messi, Xavi, Iniesta or several other big names from the first team were on the field, but tonight's display from Barça was as brilliant as ever. The Catalans were simply too good for BATE Borisov in the final game of the group stages, a victory that is yet another wonderful tribute to the amazing work being done by the staff and players at la Masía, in which the Camp Nou was able to celebrate goals from Sergi Roberto, Montoya and Pedro (2). No fewer than nine members of Barça B played their part in a win by a side with an average age of just 22.7. They may only be youngsters, but there was nothing immature about the way they performed. As was made patent on Tuesday night, the future, or even the present, is bright at Barcelona.
Sergi Roberto opens scoring
Guardiola may have picked a side that featured mainly players that ply their trade in the Miniestadi, but right from the kickoff they looked quite comfortable on the bigger stage. They maintained almost all of the possession, and had BATE Borisovpegged back in their own half for almost the entire first half, with Rafinha almost opening the scoring with practically the first move of the night.
It was a constant onslaught on the Belarusian goal. The Alcántara brothers, Pedro, Sergi Roberto and an stupendous Cuenca showed a clear understanding as they produced chance after chance. And it was Sergi Roberto who finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute to finish off a delightful combination move. These might not have been the players the Camp Nou faithful are used to seeing, but the football was exactly the same.
Cuenca on song
The second half produced more of the same. The visitors barely got a look-in as FCB played the ball around fast and smoothly, with excellent chances for Pedro and Sergi Roberto to extend the lead, while Fontàs had a goal disallowed for offside. But the second goal looked inevitable and finally came through Cuenca, who with a flash of brilliance following an assist from Montoya, made no mistake on his European debut.
Pedro bags brace
The early moments of the second half were the best of all from Barça, with the crowd shrieking with delight at such fast and entertaining football. It was no surprise when the third goal appeared, this time following a splendid move involving Pedro, Montoya and Cuenca, the latter providing the final assist, which was backheeled home by the Canary Islander.
Riverola makes debut
With the result decided, Guardiola gave three further members of the Barça B squad the chance to make their Champions League debuts. Muniesa, Deulofeu and Riverola (the latter playing first team football for the first time ever) came on for Dos Santos, Rafinha and Sergi Roberto. And there was still time for another goal. Cuenca, shortly after hitting the post, was brought down in the penalty area andPedro rounded off a magical night for the Barça youth system by converting the ensuing spot kick. It was the perfect end to an almost immaculate group campaign.
Barcelona's youngsters showed the club's future could be just as bright as the present with an impressive Champions League victory over BATE Borisov at the Nou Camp tonight.
The Catalans' passing was as tight and crisp as ever as goals from 19-year-old Sergi Roberto, 20-year old Martin Montoya and two from Pedro, at 24 the third oldest player in the starting line-up, earned them a convincing win.
With his side already guaranteed top spot in Group H, and with one eye on Saturday's trip to the Bernabeu to face Primera Division leaders Real Madrid, coach Pep Guardiola rested virtually his entire first XI.
But if BATE hoped the absence of the likes Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa would give them a chance of springing an upset and avoiding last place in the group, they were sorely mistaken.
The names may have been different, but the speed of movement and confidence on the ball was very familiar as Barcelona dominated from the first whistle.
Brazil-born Spaniard Rafinha almost put the hosts ahead in the second minute when he wriggled free in the area, but his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Aleksandr Gutor.
For all their high-tempo passing, Barcelona were struggling to find a way through the BATE backline.
Sergi Roberto had the clearest chance in the 34th minute when Martin Montoya slid a low ball from the right across the face of goal which his team-mate, sliding in at the far post, directed just wide.
The 19-year-old scored just a minute later, though, side-footing the ball calmly first time into the bottom corner after it broke to him just inside the area.
The lively midfielder had another effort before the break but his snap-shot was straight at Gutor.
The one-way traffic continued in the second half as Sergi Roberto went clear only to be denied by good save from Gutor.
Pedro's clever lob was then clawed away by the keeper, who was beaten again in the 60th minute.
Montoya, up from right-back, ran on to Isaac Cuenca's perfectly-weighted through-ball and, getting to the ball just ahead of Gutor, placed a shot high into the net.
It was 3-0 three minutes later when Cuenca cut the ball back for Pedro - whose status as a regular in the first-team squad the youngsters are looking to emulate - to score with a classy backheel through the keeper's legs at the near post.
Marti Riverola crashed a shot just wide as Barcelona kept on pressing and they won a penalty two minutes from time.
Cuenca was tripped in the area by Alexander Volodko and Pedro sent Gutor the wrong way to bring up his 50th goal for Barca.
No comments:
Post a Comment