FC Barcelona 1-0 Dynamo Kyiv: Off the mark

FC Barcelona have collected their first three points of their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 defeat of Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday.

Barça were far from their dazzling best but nevertheless outplayed their Ukrainian guests in every department. However, Gerard Piqué’s first half goal took a long time in coming and try as they could, the blaugrana were unable to add a second to take some of the pressure out an intense game of football.

Veteran goal

Barça governed the game from the outset. Almost all the meaningful football was being played deep in the Dynamo half. But the combination of a well-drilled Ukrainian defence and Barça’s lack of spark over the final metres meant it looked like we were heading for half-time scoreless.

Two of the veterans in the side had other thoughts. The crosses from Jordi Alba, MVP of the game, had been troubling Dynamo all evening, and it was one of those that Piqué met splendidly to volley his side into a thoroughly deserved lead.

Not only did that goal mean he matches Roberto Carlos as the highest scoring defender in competition history (16), but it also made him Barça’s most senior scorer in Europe of all time.

Holding on

After the deadlock had been broken, the football continued to flow in the direction of Heorhiy Bushchan’s goal. Ansu Fati, on at half-time, had the best of several chances with an overhead flick that didn’t work out, but Barça just couldn’t find the safety net of a second goal.

Dynamo had nothing to lose, and started pushing forward more and more. Their incursions were never over-threatening, but with a draw as good as a defeat as things stand in Group E, the possibility of leaking a goal was a very real concern.

Sergio Agüero entered the fray towards the end for his Champions League debut in a blaugrana jersey.

Barça failed to add to their lead but Dynamo rarely came close to taking it away from them, and the niggly final minutes brought the game to its conclusion.

The result leaves the Catalans third in the group, and next up it’s Dynamo again, where in theory things will be somewhat trickier at the NSC Olimpiyskiy in a fortnight’s time, but where once again, anything other than winning simply won't be an option.