Substitute Ferran Torres scored twice together with an Eighty fifth-minute winner as Barcelona earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League on Wednesday to maneuver to the brink of qualification.
In a pulsating five-goal second half, Torres struck twice in 10 minutes after approaching within the 71st minute to carry Barcelona to fifteen factors in second place with two video games remaining within the league section.
Dortmund twice got here from a objective down with Serhou Guirassy scoring each their objectives however they may not do it a 3rd time after Torres’s objective from a Lamine Yamal cross.
The Germans dropped right down to ninth place on 12 factors. The highest eight groups qualify routinely for the spherical of 16.
“We may be very proud of what we’ve carried out,” Barca coach Hansi Flick informed reporters. “The primary half was fantastic and within the second half, once they scored, we remained calm and strong.
“Dortmund performed very effectively with gamers who’ve a excessive tempo however we did it effectively. We conceded objectives due to errors we made. We are able to at all times enhance, however at the moment I’ve to say congratulations to the group as a result of they did it very well.”
Barcelona bossed possession from the beginning and captain Raphinha and prime scorer Robert Lewandowski had early possibilities.
The hosts responded with an opportunity of their very own by means of Marcel Sabitzer but it surely was Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel who was saved busy in a largely one-sided first half with the guests having fun with near 70% possession.
Dortmund seemed sharper after the break and Guirassy put the ball within the web within the fiftieth minute earlier than the trouble was dominated out for offside.
There was nothing flawed, nonetheless, when Raphinha latched on to an outstanding Dani Olmo cross to complete off a fast transfer within the 53rd minute and put Barcelona within the driving seat together with his sixth objective of the competitors.
The hosts levelled with Guirassy’s well-taken penalty on the hour after the Guinea worldwide was introduced down within the field earlier than Dortmund’s Kobel got here to the rescue as soon as extra, stopping one other Olmo shot.
He was crushed within the seventy fifth when Torres, who had come on 4 minutes earlier, slotted in on the rebound after Kobel had punched a Frenkie de Jong volley into his path.
Guirassy hit again three minutes later when the Barca defence was caught napping however it could not be sufficient to earn some extent as Torres scored as soon as extra after an outstanding by means of ball from Yamal.
There was nonetheless extra unhealthy information for injury-plagued Dortmund after defender Nico Schlotterbeck turned his ankle following a header within the final transfer of the sport and needed to be handled on the pitch after the ultimate whistle.
