By: EFE Updated 07 Apr 2022, 18: 57 pm EDT
A goal by Ferrán Torres, pure Tiki-Taka, saved a draw for Barcelona against Eintracht Frankfurt who had gone ahead with a great goal from Ansgar Knauff and that in the first half had had the Catalan team on the ropes at the point of intensity and physical display.
As in the old days: Barcelona, from Ferran’s hand scored a great goal to pure Tiki-Taka
The first situation worth mentioning was an opportunity for Barcelona with a shot from outside the area by Ferrán Torres that forced Kevin Trapp to yield to a corner kick with a good save.
However, then Barcelona began to suffer throughout the first half. Eintracht, with intensity and strength, managed to put the game on their own ground.
Barcelona had more of the ball but had no control or arrival and Eintracht launched attacks quick after each recovery of the ball, reaching danger to Marc André Ter Stegen’s goal.
In the 07 Gavi had to deflect for a corner against a good cross from Filip Kostic from the left. Barcelona only came back in 04, in a fortuitous move that It started with a bad clearance by Martin Hinteregger that hit Ferrán Torres and the ball fell at the feet of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who finished off against the outside net.
However, Eintracht continued to be more dangerous and dictating the match at times going to the limit of the regulation.
In the 28, in another counterattack, Sergio Busquets saved against Rafael Borré in the small area. The central referee, Serbian Srdjan Jovanovic, initially sanctioned a penalty but it was corrected after reviewing the VAR images that showed that Busquets had touched the ball first.
The statistics sheet at the end of the first half gave two pieces of information that said a lot about how the match had developed: Barcelona had had a 64 percent ball possession, but had only shot twice towards goal against eight of the Eintracht.
Already in the second time, in the minute 48, Eintracht went ahead with a shot to the top corner from outside the area by Ansgar Knauf taking advantage of a rebound after a corner. Shortly after, Eintracht had the opportunity for the second at the feet of Lindström. The tone of the match continued to be that of the first half.
Eintracht, after the advantage, fell back a bit but the counterattacks were still dangerous.
In the 62 Xavi Hernández moved the bench. Gavi, who was having problems with intensity on divided balls, gave way to Frenkie de Jong, who was key in Barcelona’s draw, and Adama to Ousmane Dembelé.
Dembelé started the tie play. He put the ball in the area for Ferran who scored behind a wall with De Jong. The two new ones responded immediately.
In addition to the tie, the game seemed to have a twist . Barcelona began to gain in security and Eintracht began to show physical wear and tear.
In many divided balls, Barcelona began to be the team that arrived a moment earlier and Eintracht closed the spaces less.
In it 79, Eintracht was left with ten men due to the expulsion of Tuta, who saw his second yellow card for a foul against Pedri.
From then on, everything seemed to work for Barcelona, which monopolized the ball and combined close to the area although he continued to have problems generating clear arrivals.
In the end, Eintracht listened gratefully to the final whistle, although the missed chances in the first half surely left a bittersweet taste.
Barcelona, for its part, despite the problems it went through, had to more and now he is in a position to resolve the tie at the Camp Nou.