sport news Viktoria Plzen 2-4 Barcelona: Xavi's side end Champions League campaign with ... trends now
View
comments
This was the game that didn’t matter, but try telling that to the Barcelona board who were left sweating on the 2.8m euros prize money for winning it as Viktoria Pilzen scored twice against a young, understrength team.
Xavi’s side hit four though and with Ferran Torres scoring twice, Raphinha shining in midfield and 19-year-old Pablo Torre also in the goals it was happy satisfactory ending to what had been a woeful group stage.
The first goal came after just six minutes when Torres played the ball wide to Ansu Fati whose shot squirmed under the dive of Jindrich Stanek. It might not have trickled over the line and Marco Alonso, who had started the move, wasn’t about to wait and see. He slid in and poked the ball into the back of the net.
Ferran Torres was twice on the scoresheet as Barcelona ended their Champions League with a victory in the Czech Republic
It was a good start but Barça were soon back conceding chances. If Adam Vlkanova’s header from a lateral free-kick had been a few centimeters lower it would have gone in instead of coming back off of Inaki Pena’s bar.
Pena then had to keep out a shot from Lukas Kalvach after debuant Pablo Torre had given the ball away in his own area. Barça could then have doubled their lead but Fati couldn’t quite reach Jordi Alba’s cross from the left.
Just before the break another assist from the left brought the second. Raphinha’s pass over the top was perfect for Alba and he headed it square for Torres to score his fourth goal of the season.
Xavi Hernandez watched on as his young side on the night secured win to conclude this year's
