Barcelona Goes Dutch, so PSV Eindhoven Pays

Published on 29-Nov-2018 by srijan213

Soccer    Soccer Daily Update

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Barcelona Goes Dutch, so PSV Eindhoven Pays

This one was played purely to fulfill the Champions League Group B schedule.

And the TV money.

PSV Eindhoven had long since played their way outta contention, and Barcelona had already qualified for bracket play.

Still, when the Blaugrana -- disguised as the MLS's Seattle Sounders circa 2010 -- left town with its 1-2 triumph, it assured itself top spot when all is done and dusted.

 

Lionel Messi stepped up again, and with a goal and an assist, he helped the Catalans seal the deal.

It was the 12th consecutive time that Barça closed out the phase of the competition leading a group.

 

PSV did their best to make the match entertaining, and if it wasn't for bad luck, they could've sent their fans into a bitta home side delerium. Dudes hit the post three times.

On top of that, Arturo Vidal almost scored from a corner, but his header was cleared off the line, and the score at half was 0-0.

 

After the break, a completely different Barcelona appeared, looking this time like they actually cared. Thus it was that PSV were punished for blowing those first-half chances.

In the 61st minute, Ousmane Dembele dimed Messi on the left edge of the box. The Argentine weaved his way around and through four defenders, firing home a low effort past goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet:

 

Then, nine minutes later, Messi picked out Gerard Piqué from a set-piece, and the Spanish centre back drove it home from close-range:

 

All that was missing by this point was a lovely parting gift, which finally appeared in the 82nd minute.

Luuk de Jong's powerful header finished a left-wing cross by Angelino:

 

And so it was that Barça earned an A for the night.

Really.

This time, it means dudes are in Bracket City.

X marks the clubs who will be inserted into the Europa League's round of 32, which doesn't send as many tremors of anticipation as the Champions' bracket does.

E, of course, means eliminated. It would've been geëlimineerd in Dutch, but a G there would've blown everybody else's minds.

 

Except theirs.