Barça 2-5 Kairat: Semi-final defeat

It wasn’t to be and Barça Lassa have crashed out of the UEFA Futsal Champions League at the semi-final stage against the host club of the Final Four, Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan.

Goals from Tayebi, Taynan, John Lennon, Edson and Douglas Junior, all in the second half, brought an end to Barça’s European dream, who did all they could but couldn’t find the goals when they most needed them. Five goals in the last minute and a half, three for Kairat and two for Barça, brought a manic end to a game that ended 5-2.

The Kazakh side played a survival game in the first half, with the Catalans dominating the chances but failing to make the pressure count. Kairat only threatened on the counter-attack and the occasional five-man offence, but they unleashed their full potential in a very different second half.

Two crosses, two goals, and some gross misfortune in the Barça defence meant the home fans were celebrating after the restart. Barça responded well but Kairat tightened up at the back and goals were harder to come by than ever. Dyego hit the post as Barça opted for a rush goalie in the final seven minutes, but having Joselito sent off for two yellows only made the cause harder still.

Lennon made it three for the home side with two minutes to go and it was all over. Or was it? Lozano pulled one back for Barça who went full out in search of a miracle comeback… but Edson replied at the other end and now it really was game over.

Dyego scored a great solo goal to pull back to 4-2, but Barça were chasing rainbows by this stage and when Douglas Junior tapped into an empty net it merely confirmed that Barça were beaten.

Sporting Lisbon go on to meet Kairat in Sunday’s final, while Barça will have to make do with a third and fourth place playoff with fellow Liga side Inter at 1.30pm CET (5.30 in Almaty).

MATCH STATS

Barça: Juanjo, Aicardo, Dyego, Adolfo, Esquerdinha, Léo Santana, Boyis, Sergio Lozano, Joselito, Arthur, Roger.

Kairat: Higuita, Gomes Dos Santos, Rangel, John Lennon, Taynan, Favero, Tayebi, Nurgozhin, Orazov, Nurgozhin, Douglas Junior, Tursagulov.

Goals: 0-1, Tayebi (min 22). 0-2, Taynan (min 27). 0-3, John Lennon (min 38). 1-3, Lozano (min 39). 1-4, Edson Gomes Dos Santos (min 39). 2-4, Dyego (min 39). 2-5, Douglas Junior (min 40).

Referees: Alessandro Malfer, Angelo Galante. Yellow for Taynan (Kairat). Red for Joselito (Barça), for double yellow.

Attendance: 12,090 in the Almaty Arena.