Barcelona’s bid to secure a spot in the Champions League knockout stages with games to spare fell short after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. The match, hosted in Hamburg, Germany due to the war in Ukraine, ended the Spanish team’s perfect record in this season’s competition and handed Shakhtar a lifeline in Group H.
The first half was a grim struggle for Barcelona, marked by a lack of precision and an inability to create meaningful chances. Danylo Sikan’s 40th-minute header gave Shakhtar the lead, leaving Barcelona in dire need of improvement for the second half.
In the second half, Barcelona displayed some improvement in their attacking play, with Xavi Hernández making a quadruple substitution to inject fresh energy. However, they still failed to register a shot on target even after the changes.
Despite a seven-minute stoppage time, Barcelona couldn’t break down Shakhtar’s defense, resulting in a dismal night for the Blaugrana. This loss leaves Barcelona with work to do in their quest to advance to the knockout stages of the competition.
With the group now wide open, Barcelona has nine points from their first four matches, while Shakhtar and Porto, both with six points, remain contenders. The next group match will see Porto hosting winless Antwerp, and Barcelona will need a stronger performance to secure their place in the round of 16.