Report by Audrey Nolan
Europe’s defending champions had a undesirable day on Wednesday. Barcelona was defeated by the Russian team FK Rubin Kazan 2-one at Nou Camp in Spain. The reduction was Barça’s first considering that December, when the staff was beaten by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Kazan commenced providing Barça a hard time from the very first minutes of the game. A loose ball some 35 yards from the Spanish target appeared benign – at minimum, till Aleksandr Ryazantsev shot the ball previous Victor Valdes into the top corner of the net, opening the score with the 1st strike of the match in Rubin’s favor.
The move left the stadium – and Barça – stunned. It was the 1st time in the time that Barcelona had fallen behind in a game, in both Europe or the Primera Division.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi, and Daniel Alves struggled to equalize the score for Barcelona, but Rubin goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov was in a position to halt their attempts. (Ryzhikov would stop all but one particular of Barça’s 24 attempts the figure is all the far more miraculous since Rubin made only 3.) By halftime, Barcelona even now hadn’t caught up, and the players went to break looking somewhat shell-shocked.
No matter what transpired throughout break, Barça returned to the game with a transformed perspective. Ibrahimovic was in a position to score just 3 minutes soon after play resumed, in moment 48, when Xavi’s chip more than the Rubin defense was chested down by Ibrahimovic at the edge of the area he then drilled an unstoppable shot in off the far submit.
Barça may have been re-determined, but the Russian group wasn’t flagging. Rubin refused to give up opportunities to their Spanish opponents, and at minute 78, scored once again. When a break from the Russians left a hole in the region, Karadeniz Gokdeniz stole a left shot previous Valdes for the objective that sealed the victory.
Barça attempted to equalize again Alves and Messi united to give Ibrahimovic his chance, but his shot from the penalty spot crashed in opposition to the crossbar. In the last minute of damage time Toure headed Xavi’s corner ball, but it thudded in opposition to the publish.
And so Barça lost the game.
The game now ties Rubin and Barcelona, along with Kiev, at four factors Inter is in last with 3 points. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said that the staff was coming from a – draw in opposition to Valencia for the duration of the weekend’s La Liga tournament and was nearly selected of a victory about Rubin – and so a secure qualification for the knockout phase.
Only the two top contenders, even so, will move to the knockout, and Barça is no lengthier the unavoidable alternative.
“These things transpire. It really is not the very first time and I doubt it will be the final,” Guardiola mentioned during a news conference. “I didn’t feel like we played a bad match. They [Rubin] had a very nicely-structured defense and all the teams [in the group] are quite great. They are all professionals.”
Rubin coach Kurban Berdyev was very proud of the staff and its capabilities below strain.
“The entire group played properly and they showed wonderful management during the match and that is why we won today. I am very proud and I think right now will be a big get together for our fans”.
Without a doubt, there will be a big get together in Russia for the team, which only recently entered the leading division.
About the Writer
Audrey Nolan is a top senior duplicate writer for the UEFA Soccer Video games games as nicely as the sports activities betting industry. Sense free of charge to reprint this post in its entirety on your internet site, make positive to depart all back links in place and do not modify any of the content material.