Spanish League’s Club Barcelona had to come from behind to seal a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray and book their place in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Xavi’s men attempted to dominate possession early on but Galatasaray had the game’s first real chance. Through on goal, Bafetimbi Gomis but saw his shot repelled by a desperate lunge from Jordi Alba.
Frenkie de Jong found himself in a similar position a few minutes later. The Dutchman really should have scored but dragged his effort wide under little pressure.
Barcelona nearly went ahead with the final kick of the first half. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was at full stretch to connect with a cross, but his looping header hit the top of the crossbar and went behind.
They would eventually get that go-ahead goal a few minutes after the break. Inaki Pena made two excellent saves to deny Sergio Busquets and Pedri, but he could not get to the final effort from Aubameyang, who tapped home to keep his outrageous run of form going.
That goal changed the tone of the whole game. Barcelona began to dominate possession and control everything about the match, and although clear-cut chances were at a premium, Barcelona looked comfortably on top.
Unfortunately, the game ended on a bit of a sour note. Alba’s perceived timewasting drew the ire of the home fans, who began launching missiles in his direction. The left-back responded by hoofing the ball into the crowd, kicking off a bit of an on-field skirmish.
