UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE: FC Barcelona 2-1 Royal Antwerp

Two goals in the first half were enough to get Barça off to the best possible start in the UEFA Youth League, although a Royal Antwerp goal with 18 minutes to go meant it was a nervy finish for the Catalans.

Although the Belgians were keen to take the game to the home side, they quickly realised that it wasn't going to be an easy task, and with Dani Rodriguez in particular getting into all kinds of interesting positions, they were forced further and further back and instead started to rely on counter attacks.

But Antwerp were defending well and it took a corner kick to finally find a way through, Pau Prim placing the ball perfectly for Olmedo to run in and meet it with his head

With the opposition now obliged to come forward and find a goal in response, Barça suddenly had a lot more space and an Andrés Cuenca through ball was met by Rodriguez who needed just one touch to turn it goalward and double the blaugrana lead

A third Barça goal looked far more likely than any thing from the Belgians in the second half so it was very much against the run of play that Godelaine was able to pounce on a defensive error and get his side back to within one.

Guiu and Juan Hernández had the best chances to nab a third for Barça but it wouldn't come, making for some tense final minutes before the whistle blew on a 2-1 victory to get the first three points into FC Barcelona's UEFA Youth League account.

MATCH STATS

Barça, 2
Antwerp Royal, 1

Barça: Yaakovishbili, Olmedo, Álvaro Cortés (Xavi Espart, min. 87), Andrés Cuenca, Albert Navarro, Darvich (Guillermo Fernandez, min. 66), Pau Prim (Dani Ávila, min. 77), Cristo (Juan Hernández, mun. 76), Nil Calderó (Arnau Pradas), Marc Guiu & Dani Rodríguez. 

Royal Antwerp: Devalckeneer, Tuypens, Verstraeten, Renders (Aertbeilen, min. 46), Delaporte, Smits, Horemans, Courtens Mabaneyshi, Doms (Gueddar, min. 46), Abdelhammid (De Wit, min. 62), Godelaine (Vandeplas, min. 77)

Goals: 1-0, Olmedo (min. 22); 2-0, Dani Rodríguez (min. 29); 2-1, Godelaine (min. 72)