March 18, (THEWILL) – Barcelona came from behind to beat Galatasaray 2-1 and advance to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Early on, Xavi’s team attempted to control possession, but Galatasaray got the first serious chance of the game. Bafetimbi Gomis was through on goal, but his effort was blocked by a desperate but fruitful lunge from Jordi Alba.
After a few minutes, Frenkie de Jong found himself in a similar situation. Under little duress, the Dutchman pulled his effort wide with the goal as his mercy.
Galatasaray captain Marcao’s diving header nestled precisely into Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s net just before the half-hour mark. In celebration, the defender kicked the corner flag, breaking it and necessitating a two-minute wait while it was repaired.
Pedri appeared to be a major threat for Barcelona, and he equalised ten minutes later. Before hitting home from close range, the teenage midfielder sat two defenders down in impressive fashion that will make manager Xavi Hernandez proud.
With the penultimate kick of the first half, Barcelona came close to taking the lead. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on the verge of connecting with a cross, but his looping header hit the crossbar and fell behind.
A few minutes after the break, Aubameyang scored the game-winning goal. Inaki Pena made two outstanding saves to deny Sergio Busquets and Pedri, but he was unable to stop Aubameyang’s final effort, which he tapped home to continue his incredible run of form.
The tone of the game was transformed by the goal. Barcelona began to dominate possession and manage every aspect of the game, and despite the lack of clear-cut chances, Barcelona was in command.
Unfortunately, the game came to a disappointing conclusion. Alba’s apparent timewasting infuriated the home crowd, who began throwing missiles at him. The left-back retaliated by hoofing the ball into the stands, igniting an on-field brawl.
Things settled down quickly, and Barcelona should have put the game out of reach with a third goal, only for Ferran Torres to hit the crossbar with a shot that VAR would almost certainly have judged onside had he scored.
Barcelona’s name will be drawn from the hat in the quarter-final draw on Friday, with the matches taking place in early April. They have now gone 11 games without losing in all competitions ahead of their LaLiga match against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Galatasaray’s focus will return to the league, with Gaziantep coming up next in the Super Lig.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
