‘After an eternity’ – Barcelona fans breathe a sigh of relief as the club qualifies for UCL Round of 16 after win over Porto

FC Barcelona have qualified for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after 3 long seasons. The Blaugrana triumphed over Porto in a close encounter on Tuesday, ensuring progression out of the group stage. Xavi Hernandez found his team in a situation where all three teams (Barcelona, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk) were on 9 points each. A 2-1 win against last year’s quarter-finalists sealed the deal for the La Liga champions.

Barcelona found themselves trailing at 30 minutes after Pepê blasted his shot past Iñaki Peña. However, Barcà responded instantly through João Cancelo, who dribbled past his marker before curling his shot past Diogo Costa. Barcelona were in control after the goal, as João Cancelo then proceeded to set up International teammate João Felix for his team’s second.

The game ended 2-1 as Barcelona secured mathematical qualification for the group stages. The club squandered an earlier opportunity to do so against Shakhtar Donetsk, where avoiding defeat would have sufficed.

The club qualified for the group stages for the first time since Lionel Messi’s departure in 2021. Barcelona face Royal Antwerp in their final group stage match, and are in pole position to top Group H.

Fans react to Barcelona making the Round of 16 after 3 seasons

Barcelona fans breathed a sigh of relief as the club avoided disappointment for a third time running. The club qualified with one game to go as fans expressed their relief and excitement at the news. A majority of the comments praised Barcelona’s Portuguese signings, João Felix and João Cancelo. Many opined that the duo have been carrying Barca on their shoulders.

Another faction of supporters were just happy to qualify as they expressed their relief. A fan said that the two-year wait was over and that he can finally rest. Other fans were confident that the club will go far in the tournament now that they have qualified. Some were still unconvinced of this Barca side, and said that this is the farthest they’ll go in the competition.

As has been the case with Barcelona for a few seasons in the past, a fan was convinced that Bayern Munich would be waiting for them at some point in the competition. Some made fun of the club, saying that they would celebrate it like they won the competition. However, Xavi Hernandez and Co. will look to make the most out of the situation and will try their best to qualify as group champions in order to avoid tougher opposition.

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