Barcelona didn’t win the possession battle. Ousmane Dembélé didn’t even last one half without coming off with an injury that will keep out until the new year. The defense was missing Gerard Piqué. And yet, FC Barcelona has won its Champions League group for the 13th straight season.
Lionel Messi picked up his 613th goal in his 700th match. Luis Suárez grabbing his 187th Barcelona goal was historic enough, but what Messi has done won’t be comprehended until he hangs up his boots and the rest of the world spends endless decades trying to match his impossible numbers.
Culés saw the best version of MSG, with each getting a goal and Griezmann coming on for Dembélé to help Barcelona turn the match in the 30th minute. The home team was the better side from the 25th minute until about the 60th minute, but that was enough to overtake a Borussia Dortmund side that is as out of form as a European giant could be. Bringing on Jadon Sancho, a player riddled in transfer consternation, was the only ace up Lucien Favre’s sleeve; a little too late however.
Samuel Umtiti and Junior Firpo had games to be discussed, and it should be noted that their physicality and positioning allowed Barcelona to overwhelm Dortmund at times. It didn’t hurt that Suárez was fighting hard in the first half to press and keep the German side pinned in their own half. Ben Hayward summed up the match perfectly.
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