FC Barcelona v AS Roma (U19): Victory denied by bad luck (3-3)

Despite a brilliant performance, Gabri García's side suffer three injuries and a red card in a draw with the Italians and still need a point from their last game to ensure qualification as group winners

MATCH STATS

Juvenil A 3,

AS Roma 3,

FC Barcelona: Cases, Moner, García, Vilanova, Cucu, Sasanedas (Carles Pérez 29’), Aleñá, Carbonell (Marc Rio 31’) Chendri, Tur & Busquets (Alex Blanco, 19’)

AS Roma: Pop, Anocic, Grossi (Tofanari 70’), Marchizza, De Santis, Bordin (Spinozzi 64’), Vasco, D’Urso (Soleri  76’), Ponce, Di Livio & Umar

Goals: 1-0 Tur (20’), 2-0 Aleñá (23’), 3-0 Aleñá (39’), 3-1 Ponce (45’), 3-2 Marchizza (65’) i 3-3 Ponce (86’)

Referee: Eitan Shmuelevitz

Miniestadi: 1075 spectators

[[DES_1]]The U19 team got everything right apart from the result against Roma in the penultimate game of the UEFA Youth League group stage. Busquets, Carbonell and Sarsanedas all went off injured in a first half that ended with a promising 3-1 lead. But with Juanma red carded for a second bookable offence, the visitors pulled back level with two second half goals.

Injury woes

After beating BATE in game four, a win today would have seen the Catalans though to the next sixteen. A crowd of 1,075 people came out to see the game, an impressive turnout given the cold temperatures and the awkward kick-off at 12.00pm local time.

Barça came out firing on all cylinders, with Aleñá unfortunate not to score after 11 minutes. Shortly after, and moments after coming on for the injured Busquets, Alex Blanco sped into the box before finding Tur at the far post, and the latter put Barça into a deserved 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Three minutes later, and it was Theo Chendri who went on a similarly thundering sprint, and then set up Aleñá on the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

Barça continued to dominate, even after Carbonell and Sarsanedas became the second and third players to leave the field injured, and Aleñá then delighted the Miniestadi with a solo run that contained a bit of everything, including a brilliant finish that dipped under the crossbar to make it 3-0. Even when Ponce managed to pull a goal back for Roma just before the break, it still looked like Barça had this one well under control.

Penalty blow

Barça started the second half looking as superior as they had in the first. But then the whole game changed in an instant. Roma were awarded a penalty for an incident that meant a second yellow card of the game for Juanma García. Roma scored from the spot and Barça had to see out the rest of the game with just ten men.

Even so, it was the home side that continued to govern the game and enjoy all the chances, but the ball refused to go into the back of the Roma net. And totally against the run of play, and with just five minutes left, Ponce culminated a rapid Roma counter-attack with an equaliser.

This was a game Barça really deserved to win, but the outcome is that they still lead the way with ten points, and after the 1-1 draw between BATE and Bayer Leverkusen, one point from the game in Germany would be enough to ensure top spot in the group.

from News at FCB http://ift.tt/1PX4UIp