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Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep
Competition: ???label.competicio1???
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Resultat:

FC Barcelona: 2
Dynamo K.: 0

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

More info

Goals

1-0 Messi (min 25)
2-0 Pedro (min 75)

In charge in Europe (2-0)

Jordi Clos

Barça have leaped to the top of Group F after a well deserved 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev. A goal apiece from Messi and Pedro gave Barça the three points.

16 years separate the legendary 4-1 win by the Dream Team and Guardiola’s treble –winning team. Tonight’s victory has sent Barça to the top of the group – surely a fitting tribute to Cruyff’s side.

However, at first the match lacked sharpness in front of goal. The opening 20 minutes or so witnessed a number of missed opportunities but Messi’s 25th minute goal gave his team-mates a much needed boost and only Kiev goalkeeper Shovkovski stopped Barça from increasing their lead. Despite conceding, the visitors stuck to their highly defensive approach into the second half but Barça finally capitalised on their overwhelming dominance when Pedro got a second to send Barça to the top of Group F.

Barça sluggish

Barça found it difficult to get going and the team showed an unusual side – imprecise, slow to build and a lack of understanding between some of the players. Dynamo held their defensive line well back in their own half with Shevchenko on his own up front. In the 20th minute he showed he remains a dangerous strike and almost put the Ukrainians ahead.

Messi changes the outlook

Barça’s failure to increase their lead gradually unnerved both the players and the fans until Messi made it 1-0 with a little help from Shovkovski. However, Shovkovski more than made amends in what remained of the match as a rejuvenated Barça rediscovered their form and piled on the pressure.

Dynamo ride their luck

Confidence returned with the goal and Barça started to play the way only they know how. The game opened up as the forwards warmed to their task and the goal scoring opportunities started to flow. Shovkovski shone against Messi (min 27), Ibra (32) and Xavi (min 39). The referee ruled a Dynamo goal offside and then both Messi and Ibra had chances to make it 2, but Shovkovski had other ideas.

Pedro breaks the wall

Guardiola’s players returned after halftime in the mood to finish off the match and almost immediately Ibra could have scored from a header (min 47). Barça took complete control and the Dynamo keeper had to work hard to keep his side in the game - Zlatan’s 66th minutes shot had goal written all over it. The visitors were stretched to the limit and it was no surprise when Pedro’s left-footed shot clinched the three points in the 76th minute.

Game over. An important win for FC Barcelona, who top the group with four points.

Preview

Guardiola goal disallowed

The present first team manager, Josep Guardiola, was one of the players the night of the 4-1 win over Dynamo Kiev. He even scored a perfectly legal goal that the referee refused to award. But he still has fond memories of that night. “It was a great game” he said on Monday. “One of the best the Dream Team ever played.”

In 1997 Josep Guardiola was not involved. He was out with an isquiotibial injury, and could therefore only watch on as his beloved team fell to an agonising 4-0 defeat.

Play like you did in 1993

Roger Bogunyà

Barça and Dynamo Kiev meet tonight at the Camp Nou (20.45, TVE and R@dio Barça) in a repeat of that classic night involving Cruyff and his Dream Team in 1993. Barça, who need a win, will have to make do without Henry.

One of the finest nights of the great Dream Team era was September 29, 1993 against Dynamo Kiev, exactly 16 years ago. On Tuesday, FC Barcelona have their second European game of the season, but the circumstances are very different. That night the team needed to make amends for a 3-1 defeat in the away leg in order to make it through the round. There’s not quite so much at stake for the European champions this time, but neither can they afford to relax. The draw away to Inter ( 0-0 ) means that anything other than a win tonight against the Group F leaders from the Ukraine could put their qualification hopes in jeopardy.

Without Henry

If this is to be a similar night as the one 16 years ago, Messi will have to take the role of Romario. If he can produce the same football we saw against Atlético, Racing and Malaga, the Argentinian should be able to direct the attack towards victory. But his services will be required more than ever tonight, because Thierry Henry is out after picking up a minor injury at La Rosaleda.

First home game

Barça v Dynamo is the first Champions League game at the Camp Nou since April 19, when Chelsea were the visitors. It’s not quite as urgent a situation as that one was, but failing to win would leave Dynamo, who have already got one 3-1 win behind them, in a very strong position, and it would look especially worrying for FCB if Inter win in the earlier kick off at Rubin Kazan (18.30). But a win would top off an excellent start to the title defence for FC Barcelona.

Shevchenko in doubt

Kiev would rather forget the 4-1 reverse in 1993, and instead look to their famous 4-0 victory at the Camp Nou on November 5, 1997 for inspiration. That was Barcelona’s worst ever home defeat in Europe, not helped by the squad being seriously depleted by injuries. This time it’s the Ukrainians who have injury concerns, with Shevchenko a doubt. Of course, he was the man who scored three goals that famous night 12 years ago, and he is now back with the Ukrainian champions after spells at Milan and Chelsea. So, the big hope tonight is that Messi can emulate Romario, and at the same time, that Shevchenko doesn’t emulate Shevchenko!