Barça 3-2 Kairat: Champions League finalists!
Barça have finally broken the Kairat ‘curse’. And they’ll be able to defend their Champions League title in the 2021 final after winning today’s Final Eight semi-final 3-2 with a hat-trick from Ferrao, but also a marvellous all-round team performance, with a dominant first half and some brilliant weathering of the storm to hang on for a fsmous victory.
Now there’s just one more thing to do - albeit a massive thing. On Mondau at 8.00pm CEST, Barça will take on Sporting Club, who won 5-2 against Movistar Inter, for the title.
Blaugrana dominance
Kairat, despite missing Higuita, went for their trademark rush goalie tactic to try to impose some early damage. But Barça were in no mood for surprises and put plenty of pressure on 19-year-old Serikov in the Kazakhstani goal. And Ferrao finally had him beat after 16 minutes.
A wonderful piece of teamwork between Marcenio and the same man and that was two, but Kairat pulled one back with a long range strike from Diego Favero.
When Ferrao re-established the two-goal cushion it looked like the game was sorted, but a 36th minute goal from Fernandinho and a team attacking with five meant there was going to be uncertainty until the end.
But Barça managed to hang on, and on Monday … bring on the final!
MATCH STATS
Barça: Dídac Plana, Aicardo, Dyego, Ferrao, Marcenio, André Coelho, Adolfo, Esquerdinha, Daniel Shiraishi, Ximbinha.
Kairat: Serikov, Gadeia, Douglas Junior, Orazov, Fernandinho, Humberto, Diego Favero, Tursagulov, Rangel, Edson.
Goals: 1-0, Ferrao (min 16). 2-0, Ferrao (min 21). 2-1, Favero (min 24). 3-1, Ferrao (min 33). 3-2, Fernandinho (min 36).