Barcelona’s new forward, Joao Felix, showcased his prowess with a dazzling performance, netting two goals in a convincing 5-0 victory over visiting Royal Antwerp in their Champions League Group H opener at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday.
After enduring successive group-stage eliminations in recent years, Barcelona treated debutants Antwerp to a footballing masterclass. The Catalan giants dominated possession with swift passing, and the trio of Felix, Robert Lewandowski, and Gavi all found the back of the net.
Speaking about the impressive win, Barcelona’s coach, Xavi Hernandez, stated, “Between this win and the 5-0 against Betis on Saturday, I think this is probably the best quality of play we’ve produced since I took over. This is the road we want to be on. The team’s making me proud.”
Joao Felix wasted no time making his mark, opening the scoring for the home side with a clinical low strike inside the near post in the 11th minute.
The Portuguese forward then turned provider, setting up Robert Lewandowski in the box, who calmly doubled Barcelona’s lead just eight minutes later. This milestone goal made Lewandowski only the third player in history to score 100 goals in European competition, joining the elite company of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Barcelona continued to press, extending their lead to 3-0 after 22 minutes when Raphinha’s strike from a tight angle deflected off defender Jelle Bataille for an unfortunate own goal.
Antwerp’s winger, Arbnor Muja, had a chance to provide a glimmer of hope for the visitors just before halftime, but his low effort from the edge of the box was thwarted by goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen.
Returning after the break with a determination to increase their lead, Barcelona demonstrated their intent to continue their Champions League campaign dominance. Gavi made it 4-0 with a blistering strike into the roof of the net, while Joao Felix added another goal with a header to complete the rout.
Barcelona’s dominance was evident, with 22 goal attempts compared to Antwerp’s three. The Belgian side, making their fifth consecutive European appearance and second in the Champions League, faced a daunting task against a resurgent Barcelona.
Antwerp’s coach, Mark van Bommel, acknowledged the gulf in quality, remarking, “(Barcelona’s) first three shots on target were three goals for them. They are on top of the world. That makes sense, they keep playing, tapping, turning, that’s where we have to go, but we’re still a long way from that, but that’s no shame. That is a very big learning moment for us.”
In another Group H clash, Porto secured a 3-1 victory over Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg, adding more intrigue to what promises to be an exciting Champions League group stage.
