Barcelona recovers life; Bayern and Juventus, first classified

The Blaugrana club counted on the performance of Fati to overcome Dynamo Kiev, while an unstoppable Lewandowski scored a triplet against Benfica

MADRID — Ansu Fati came to the rescue of a Barcelona that recovers life in the Champions League with his double win by the minimum against Dinamo Kiev, on the fourth day that left the mathematical classification to eighth with authority of Bayern Munich and Juventus, the complication of Sevilla with their defeat at home against Lille and the step in front of Villarreal.

The return to the great of Ansu, touched by the gods of the goal, gave a joy in the middle of the identity crisis of a Barcelona that retrieves options in the Champions. With a good dose of suffering until the end, with Ter Stegen recovering his best level to save his team, trembling because of the defensive instability but taking gold from the shot above with power and anger from Fati, who responds with personality to the inherited leadership that the team demands. 10 that looks behind him after the goodbye of Leo Messi.

Everything is back in the hands of Barça, who will play their options to advance to the round and avoid the discredit of falling to the Europa League, against Benfica at the Camp Nou. A win will give him the mathematical classification and avoid risking everything to one card at the Allianz Arena against a fearsome Bayern Munich. To the scoring rhythm of an insatiable ‘matador’. The day left another auctioneer recital by Robert Lewandowski, author of a triplet, and Cristiano Ronaldo, decisive one more day for Manchester United. Two legendary players.

His 81 goals in the hundreds of games that Lewandowski fulfilled, show the power of the Polish striker, who still had time to miss a penalty in the Bayern win against Benfica (5-2), which gives not only the classification to the first exchangers, also the first place in Group E in a virtual way.

Group F promises emotion until the last breath, in which Villarreal fulfilled against Young Boys, with goals from Capoue and Danjuma in Ceramics (2-0), to be a co-leader with a Manchester United that clings to strong emotions. Cristiano again and again in the last breath. He tied in the added time of the first act and the second to Atalanta (2-2), to reach 139 goals, scorer king of the most prestigious competition at club level.

Along with Bayern, the second team to mathematically seal their pass to the round of 16 was Juventus, flooded with doubts in his league and with power in ‘Champions’. Led by Argentine Dybala, author of a double, he passed over Zenit, 4-2, with goals from Chiesa and Álvaro Morata a few days after his return to the Spanish team for two decisive appointments. Chelsea, current European champions, will accompany the round of 16 in a group seen for sentence after their triumph at Malmö’s home with a solitary goal from Ziyech.

Without a net, Sevilla is left, forced to win in the last two days at Salzburg and Wolfsburg, to have options to qualify after equaling their worst streak in the Champions League. Two defeats and four consecutive draws, without victories in four rounds, traced back at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán by Lille. The opportunism of the Argentine Lucas Ocampos was useless. Canadian Jonathan David with a penalty on the brink of halftime and Jonahan Ikoné’s prize for the great game, left the team of Julen Lopetegui, bottom of Group G, unanswered in an unexpected situation. Salzburg is the leader, who fell on their visit to Wolfsburg (2-1), leaving all teams with qualifying options.