Donetsk Shakhtar shocked football Europe in the fourth round of the group stage, winning a sensational victory over Catalan Barcelona in Hamburg with a score of 1:0.
The last time the Ukrainian team defeated the Catalans was 15 years ago – in December 2008 in the last round of the group stage of the Champions League.
Then the team led by Mircea Lucescu beat the Blaugranas at the Camp Nou with a score of 3:2.
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The official UEFA account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), when publishing the result of the Shakhtar – Barcelona match, wrote simply: Shocktar, adding an emoji demonstrating shock.
ICTV facts collected the reaction of the Spanish press after the match, which destroys Barcelona for the game and praises the Ukrainian team.
Reaction of the Spanish media after the match Shakhtar – Barcelona
Spanish Marca released several reviews of the match in Hamburg. One of them says that in Spain everyone expected Barca to restore their European self-esteem, but in Hamburg there was a severe test of their strength. Xavi's reproachful approach and rotation of players forced Barca to face reality.
“Sikan became a hero for Shakhtar, who was closer to scoring the second goal than missing,” says one of the reviews.
A longer Marca review notes that Barcelona received a good slap in the face in Hamburg.
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Xavi's players played a terrible game. Barcelona was haunted by all the European ghosts of yesteryear. Relegations from previous years against Bayern, Benfica or Inter. And yesterday’s rivals were of a much lower level than all of them, the author summarizes.
Screenshot: Marca
Xavi's players were absolutely helpless throughout the match. Despite having the vast majority of possession, the Blaugranas were unable to find a way into the goal. They clashed with the opponent's defense. But problems also arose in defense. Passing led to quick counterattacks by the Ukrainians, who had several opportunities to finish the game with goals.
Sport.es writes that the defeat in Hamburg put Barça in its worst state of the season. Not in terms of results, but in terms of sensations. Blaugranas showed a “solid block” against Shakhtar and missed the opportunity to book their place in the 1/8 finals of the Champions League.
Shakhtar's victory yesterday was not just 3 points. It was also a ray of light in all the darkness surrounding Ukraine. AS writes about this. The publication writes: Yesterday Ukraine scored a goal against the war.
The Catalan press, in particular Mundo Deportivo, was merciless towards Barcelona. They note that Xavi's team suffered a terrible failure in Hamburg against Shakhtar.
— A sluggish team during the hour of the match and an insufficient final reaction against the enthusiasm and well-practiced play of Shakhtar. Barcelona, with several changes, had the ball on the field, but it resembled a skating rink, and Shakhtar gradually lost fear.
They described Sican's goal as follows: The ball slowly, as if in a nightmare, arced into the goal.
Do you know what it's like to go out onto the field without a plan? Well, this is exactly what Barcelona demonstrates in their latest matches, writes Estadio Deportivo. The truth is that Barca is now a team without football and without leadership that can lose to anyone.
“Thanks to a bright, lively and courageous game, Shakhtar turned Barca’s pressure into the decoration of his magnificent game. They played and played and played. Barcelona's football has been sad and flat, which is rare in their history, at least in recent times – from the dream team to the present.
The author writes that the Catalans' opponent was “a team that is not going to become European champions, but which knew what it had in its hands, knew its chances and, most importantly, had a plan and carried it out to perfection.”
Screenshot: Estadio Deportivo
The miner perfectly controlled the pace of the game, knew how to stay close to his goal, and Barca was powerless until the final whistle. Not only did they lose, they faced the sad reality that Xavi's team was left without football and without leadership.
