BARCELONA are cruising to a big Champions League win over sorry Dynamo Kiev.
Goals from Serginio Dest, two from Martin Braithwaite and a late strike from Antoine Griezmann have done the damage for the visitors.
THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT
Plenty of football being covered across the week, and we still have Champions League and Europa league action to come.
Starting off with tomorrow, we have Olympiakos vs Man City from 5.55pm, then Liverpool vs Atalanta and Inter Milan vs Real Madrid from 8.00pm!
Then onto Thursday, we have action from the Europa League with Arsenal, Leicester and Tottenham all looking to put one foot in the knockout stages.
Goodnight!
TABLE CHECK
Tonight’s win makes it four wins from four group games for Barcelona, and they have a healthy three point lead over Juventus.
Juventus managed to beat Ferencvárosi TC 2-1 thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, and a 90th minute winner from Alvaro Morata.
INSTANT IMPACT
Griezmann came off the bench to score Barcelona’s fourth!
Before tonight, Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann had scored just one of his last last 14 away appearances in the UEFA Champions League (v Napoli in February).
Credit: Getty Images
BIG BOOTS TO FILL
Braithwaite scored a brace to fire Barcelona into the the knockout stages! Look at his stats in UCL away games, compared to the great, former Barca No9 Suarez.
FULL-TIME STATS
Dynamo managed to shave one or two per cent off Barcelona’s first half possession stats, but it wasn’t enough to stop Barca dictating play and eventually finding a breakthrough.
Barca looked useless inside the final third in the first half, but came out for the second half and looked like the Barca of old.
In the second half, Barca spread their attacks in the final third rather evenly across the pitch.
Three of the four goals came from the right flank, and Griezmann’s coming from some nice play down the left.
Barca set up shop inside the Dynamo half and picked their opponents apart.
FT: DYNAMO KYIV 0-4 BARCELONA
Barcelona make it four wins from four and they’re into the knockout stages of the Champions League!
They made hard work of the first half, but made the second half look very easy.
Sergino Dest opened the scoring in the 52nd minute, driving a low shot across goal and into the bottom left corner.
The floodgates opened and Barca doubled their lead just seven minutes later through Braithwaite, the forward got on the end of Garcia’s flick-on from a corner to score his first Champions League goal for Barca.
Braithwaite got Barca’s third from the penalty spot, he won it so he earned the right to take it – he thumped the ball low and hard to the keepers right.
Griezmann got on the pitch late on and decided to get in on the act.
It was wonderful play on the left-hand side, Alena picked out Alba who fed the ball into the path of the No7 and Griezmann made no mistake with the finish.
PEEEEEEP!
THAT’S HALF-TIME!
DYNAMO KYIV 0-4 BARCELONA
90+1. Alena holds onto the ball on the edge of the Dynamo penalty area, drawing out two defenders.
He then plays a quick pass out wide to Alba in an advanced position, the left-back plays a first-time cross in to Griezmann who fires low past Bushhan!
Wonderful finish. Game over!
GOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!
IT’S FOUR!!!
GRIEZMANN FINISHES THE GAME OFF!!!
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
90. three additional minutes and the end of the second half.
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JUST OVER!
87. Dest picks up the ball in the midfield and drives towards the Dynamo penalty area.
He shows some brilliant skill to lose his marker before smashing a right-footed shot JUST over the crossbar!
BARCA STYLE
Not long left in the game and Dest’s second half strike, and Braithwaite’s brace separate the two sides.
Credit: Getty Images
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
84. Puig races clear of Baluta and tries to drive into the Dynamo penalty area, but Andriyevskyi gets back in time to put in a vital interception.
Koeman has put faith in the Barcelona youth, and they’ve delivered.
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
82. MORE CHANGES!
Baluta is on for Shepelev, the Romanian defensive midfielder is on loan from Premier League outfit Brighton.
Koeman is making another change aswell, Konrad de la Fuente (what a name) is on for Trincao.
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
79. Olé! Trincao slips the ball through the legs of Popov before floating a pass into the path of Braithwaite inside the Dynamo penalty area.
Braithwaite tries to wriggle free of Mykolenko but he’s unsuccessful and Dynamo clear the danger.
Braithwaite scoring a Champions League hat-trick would add to the strange list of things that have happened in 2020!
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
78. Just over ten minutes left to play in the second half and the three goal lead looks uncatchable…. but not impossible!
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CHANCE!
76. Puig sends Dest running down the right-hand side, the right-back cuts inside and shows some neat footwork to find some space inside the penalty area!
He tees up Trincao on the edge of the area but the No17 snatches at the shot sending it high and wide…
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
76. Popov receives the ball deep inside the Barcelona half, he assesses his passing options and he picks the right man to pass to, but it was an awful pass and Barcelona have a goal-kick.
Awful.
DYNAMO KYIV 0-3 BARCELONA
72. More changes made by both sides.
Koeman is handing another Barcelona youngster his first team debut, Fernandes is on for Pedri.
Dynamo have taken off De Pena and Chaparenko for Supriaha and Lednev.
LIGHTWORK
Second half strikes from Braithwaite and Dest have all but secured Barcelona’s place in the Champions League knockout stages.
Plenty of time for more goals, though. Braithwaite hat-trick anyone?
Credit: Getty Images
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70. Braithwaite steps up to the plate in the absence of Lionel Messi and tucks the penalty inside of the left post!
Wonderful finish, Braithwaite’s on a brace! Hat-trick on the cards?
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLL!!!
BRAITHWAITE AT THE DOUBLE!!!
HE TUCKS THE PENALTY INSIDE THE LEFT POST!!!
THE FLOODGATES HAVE OPENED!!!
DYNAMO KYIV 0-2 BARCELONA
PENALTY!
68. Alba receives the ball out wide on the left-hand side, he plays a lovely cross into the path of Braithwaite who is pushed over by Popov!
Brilliant spot by the referee. Popov booked and Braithwaite is on penalty duty.
DYNAMO KYIV 0-2 BARCELONA
67. Puig lets the ball run across him fooling Popov, he sprays he ball wide to Dest who drives to the by-line.
The right-back hangs a cross up at the far post for Braithwaite to meet, but the forward just misses the ball.
DYNAMO KYIV 0-2 BARCELONA
66. Good spell of possession for Dynamo, if they manage to get a goal back its game on – Koeman has made some substitutions which could disturb Barca’s flow.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
