Ferran Torres has scored five goals in 12 appearances for Barcelona this season
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored one goal and assisted another as his side held off Shakhtar Donetsk to maintain their perfect Group H record in the Champions League.
Torres opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a rebounded effort after Fermin Lopez hit the post.
The ex-Manchester City forward then set up Lopez for Barca’s second eight minutes later.
Heorhii Sudakov scored a second-half consolation goal but the hosts held on.
The five-time winners, who last lifted the trophy in 2015, are top of their group with nine points, while Shakhtar stay third, six points behind the La Liga champions.
Torres impresses before El Clasico
Barcelona are short of strikers with usual centre-forward Robert Lewandowski already out with an ankle injury, and Joao Felix limping off with an apparent knock in the 74th minute.
Torres, though, made the perfect case to start up front in Saturday’s El Clasico league match against rivals Real Madrid.
The 23-year-old found the net in his second consecutive Champions League game, smashing a bouncing loose ball home.
He then received the ball on the turn and set up Lopez who brilliantly doubled Barca’s advantage with a fine strike which went in off the post.
Lopez also hit the woodwork in the second half and had a header ruled out for offside which would have restored his side’s two-goal lead in the 70th minute.
Shakhtar stunned their hosts, scoring on a rare break upfield, but never looked like adding a second to take a point from Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
Barcelona started 16-year-old Lamine Yamal for the second time in the Champions League, while 17-year-old Marc Guiu, who scored the winner on his debut against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, came on as a late substitute.
- Line-ups
- Match Stats
- Live Text
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 2Cancelo
- 4Araujo
- 5MartínezSubstituted forChristensenat 82’minutes
- 17AlonsoSubstituted forBaldeat 70’minutes Booked at 75mins
- 32LópezSubstituted forCasadóat 82’minutes
- 18Romeu
- 22Gündogan
- 27Yamal
- 7F Torres Booked at 43mins
- 14João FélixSubstituted forGuiuat 75’minutes
Substitutes
- 3Balde
- 13Peña Sotorres
- 15Christensen
- 26Astralaga
- 30Casadó
- 33Cubarsí
- 34Garrido
- 38Guiu
- 39Fort
Shakhtar Donetsk
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Riznyk
- 26Konoplya Booked at 72mins
- 5Bondar Booked at 87mins
- 22Matvienko
- 16Azarovi
- 21Bondarenko
- 6StepanenkoSubstituted forde Sousa Lemosat 90+2’minutes
- 11Zubkov
- 10Sudakov
- 8Kryskiv Booked at 50mins Substituted forMartins da Silvaat 63’minutes
- 14SikanSubstituted forKelsyat 70’minutes
Substitutes
- 1Rudko
- 4Castillo
- 7de Sousa Lemos
- 9Shved
- 13Gocholeishvili
- 18Kelsy
- 19Chygrynskiy
- 20Topalov
- 27Ocheretko
- 29Nazaryna
- 39Martins da Silva
- 44Rakitskyi
Referee: Ivan Kruzliak
Attendance: 41,409
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Barcelona 2, Shakhtar Donetsk 1.
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Second Half ends, Barcelona 2, Shakhtar Donetsk 1.
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Foul by Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).
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Artem Bondarenko (Shakhtar Donetsk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Marc Guiu (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Valeriy Bondar (Shakhtar Donetsk).
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Oriol Romeu (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Oleksandr Zubkov (Shakhtar Donetsk).
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Substitution, Shakhtar Donetsk. Eguinaldo replaces Taras Stepanenko.
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Attempt missed. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
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Attempt missed. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Taras Stepanenko (Shakhtar Donetsk) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Yukhym Konoplya.
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Attempt missed. Ronald Araujo (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Ferran Torres (Barcelona).
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Valeriy Bondar (Shakhtar Donetsk) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Ferran Torres (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Valeriy Bondar (Shakhtar Donetsk).
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Attempt missed. Ferran Torres (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
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Ferran Torres (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
