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Barcelona secured a crucial victory over Porto in the UEFA Champions League group stage despite missing their star striker, Robert Lewandowski, who was substituted due to an injury caused by a challenge from David Carmo.
Ferran Torres replaced Lewandowski and scored the match’s only goal in first-half stoppage time, taking advantage of a mistake by Porto’s defence.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, put on a masterclass performance to preserve the clean sheet and secure the win for his team.
Porto had several chances to score, including a disallowed goal by Mehdi Taremi due to an offside position. In the second half, Porto continued to push forward and had three great chances in the first 20 minutes but could not convert them into goals.
They were also denied a penalty after VAR intervened and determined that Stephen Eustaquio had used his arm to play the ball just before Joao Cancelo handled it in his own box.
Barcelona’s victory was a step in the right direction for Xavi’s side, who had suffered disappointing losses in Portugal in previous Champions League seasons. The win gives Barcelona six points after two games and puts them in a good position in their group.
They will face Shakhtar Donetsk in their next match. Porto remains in second place in the group based on goal differential and will have a chance to secure points in their next home game against Royal Antwerp.