Barcelona CRUSHE BSC Young Boys 5-0 in Champions League Dominance
Barcelona consolidated their winning streak to six games in the UEFA Champions League by decimating BSC Young Boys 5-0 at Camp Nou. All the goals came from Robert Lewandowski, but it’s a true team effort. Raphinha and Iñigo Martínez added to the euphoria, and Mohamed Camara sealed his with an own goal within the final minutes of the game. In fact, Barcelona dominated from the whistle and did little to let the Swiss side get back in the game.
Fast Start for Barcelona: Lewandowski Scores Early
The match got underway with Barcelona on top and playing at a high tempo, really controlling the ball, leaving BSC Young Boys on the back foot. It didn’t take long for Robert Lewandowski to make himself noticed. In the 8th minute, a beautiful cross from the right flank by Raphinha sailed into the box, where the Polish striker nodded in for an early lead on the night with the score 1-0. That was more of a one-sided affair for the rest of the night.
Lewandowski had space in the box through the entire match and finished some fantastic ones. That single strike gave confidence to Barcelona to play freely with the attack, while Young Boys were unable to create any foothold in the match.
Raphinha and Martínez Extend the Lead
However, Barcelona never let up the pressure, and it was just a matter of time before they doubled their advantage. Raphinha scored an extremely impressive goal when he controlled a loose ball in the penalty area in the 34th minute. Raphinha approached the goal and fired a shot into the bottom corner with the Brazilian winger making a casual swoop on the loose ball, giving little or no chance to Young Boys’ goalkeeper. Raphinha showed his instinctive response to strikers.
Only three minutes had been spent of the clock when Iñigo Martínez headed in Barça’s third in front of the scoreboard. Another great corner was taken, and Pedri provided the ideal ball into the box for Martínez’ powerful header, which confirmed the 3-0 score on the scoreboard. Barcelona dominated also in set pieces as Young Boys miserably failed to contain the aerial strength of the Spanish team.
At the break, Barcelona dominated 3-0 with an omnipresent attack that left Young Boys utterly stunned.
Second half: Lewandowski Strikes again
Barcelona did not take long to seize the initiative in the second half. Six minutes into the second half, he struck his second of the night. He remained wonderfully open for a cross by Iñigo Martínez from within the box. Lewandowski nicely chipped it into the net, giving Barcelona an even four-goal lead in the 51st minute.
Lewandowski’s second goal was a world-class finish and movement inside the box. The Polish forward was a constant threat in this match, and the brace sealed Barcelona’s authority over the game.
Defensive Struggles for Young Boys
While the Catalan side did everything correct on attack, their visitors, BSC Young Boys, were not really able to produce some close opportunities. All match long, the Swiss team had just five shots on goal, with one of them on target. Barcelona’s defense, marshaled by Iñigo Martínez and Andreas Christensen, had no intentions of exposing a chance to the attacking force by Young Boys.
The best opportunities the Young Boys had were through counter-attacks, but they came pretty sporadically. Their xG of 0.74 said everything about a lack of imagination and not being able to threaten a well-drilled Barcelona backline. Long-range efforts were all Swiss could come up with, and not one of them was close to troubling Ter Stegen in any way.
Camara’s Own Goal Secures Young Boys’ Fate
Young Boys had endured much at the hands of Barcelona, but in the 81st minute the Catalan pressure finally told, as a fifth was scored against them in unfortunate circumstances. Mohamed Camara tried to clear a cross, but in doing so he channeled the ball into his own net, making it 5-0. The own goal said it all for Young Boys, who had been outplayed in all departments by their Spanish counterparts tonight.
Camara’s mistake was the final blow to the embers that were already dying. At 0-3, things weren’t going their way. On the other hand, Barcelona continued to attack meaningfully and deliberately without any indication of letting the matter go when it was already over for them at 3-0.
Total Domination from Barcelona
Statistics of this match pointed out the supremacy of Barcelona. In the game, Barcelona dominated the ball by 70% of possession while making 673 passes, compared to the Swiss team’s 296. In this match, the smooth passing game and relentless pressure of Barcelona maintained the Swiss team on their toes for the entire 90 minutes.
The Catalan team had 21 shots at the gates of their Swiss opponents and had eight of them on target. Young Boys could only manage five attempts, of which only one troubled Ter Stegen. Furthermore, attacks created by Barcelona to breach Young Boys defense were praiseworthy as they had 88 dangerous attacks compared to just 12 for Young Boys.
Additionally, Barcelona’s xG was 3.53, and they did score because there were gaps in Young Boys’ defense which the Catalan team could always find.
Substitution and Tactical Changes
There were a few late substitutions in the second half that would not have any impact on the game because the flow of the match continued uninterrupted. For Barcelona, Ansu Fati and Alejandro Balde featured as late replacement, as Iñigo Martínez and Pedri sat out not wanting to burn themselves up ahead of other matches.
Young Boys made some desperation moves with Cedric Itten and Sékou Ganvoula off the bench, but the bench players were never going to change things around since Barcelona was in control of the game at this point.
Conclusion: A Statement Win for Barcelona
Barcelona produced a very convincing performance to dispose off BSC Young Boys 5-0, but the margin only stated the intent of the Spanish giants in the Champions League. What was also convenient for Barca, however, was two goals from Robert Lewandowski, along with scores from Raphinha, Iñigo Martínez, and of course, the own goal by Camara.
This end saw Barcelona achieve a result that showcased attacking intent, defensive solidity, and tactical discipline under manager Xavi Hernández. With their dominant performance, Barcelona refreshed their status as one of the favorites to go far in the present Champions League campaign.
For Young Boys, defeat underlined the class of opposition, even if boys who fought throughout for long periods might feel they deserved a bit more. As the group stage continues, Barcelona can only look to continue on their current path, while Young Boys will hope to regroup and send back a much stronger team for their next fixture.
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