Barcelona are heading towards a second successive defeat. They managed to equalise in the first half after conceding early against Royal Antwerp, but they have now fallen behind again in their final Champions League group stage match.
It was Barcelona-linked midfielder Arthur Vermeeren that opened the scoring inside two minutes, but Ferran Torres spared the Catalans’ blushes by grabbing an equaliser following a quick counter-attack.
It remained 1-1 until half time, but 10 minutes into the second period, Vincent Janssen – formerly of Tottenham Hotspur – has made it 2-1 to the hosts.
Vincent Janssen puts Antwerp ahead vs Barca pic.twitter.com/vynUiyIoUh
— Gilles 🇳🇬🏴 (@_Grimanditweets) December 13, 2023
49': Offside ❌
55': ⚽Six minutes after having his goal disallowed, Vincent Janssen gets his goal. Antwerp retake their lead over Barcelona. 💪 pic.twitter.com/8hhAkpGscJ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 13, 2023
It is a bitter blow for Barcelona, who had hoped to end their 2023 exploits in the Champions League on a high. They do not need to win, as their place at the top of Group H is already effectively secured, but it would lift the spirit ahead Sunday’s defeat to Girona.
Barcelona have half an hour to get back into the game, and but even so, things aren’t looking very good for Xavi Hernandez and his side.
