Despite a strong campaign that carried them to the final, Turkish representative Trabzonspor fell short on Monday in the UEFA Youth League, losing 4-1 to Spanish side Barcelona.
Barcelona took an early lead in the 11th minute when Junyent dribbled through midfield and found Diarra at the edge of the penalty area. Diarra turned and fired a shot past the goalkeeper into the left side of the net to open the scoring: 0-1.
Trabzonspor responded in the 16th minute when Onuralp Cakiroglu controlled a ball played forward by Boran Baskan and fired a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but Barcelona goalkeeper Yaakobishvili made a strong save.
Barcelona doubled their advantage in the 18th minute. Off a corner kick taken by Farinas from the right, Farre rose to meet the ball with a header. After Trabzonspor goalkeeper Erol Can Colak failed to clear it, Cuenca slotted home the rebound: 0-2.
Barcelona appeared to make it 3-0 in the 32nd minute when Hernandez placed a shot into the far corner following a short corner routine, but after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed for offside.
In the 44th minute, another Barcelona attack saw Junyent deliver a cross from the left. Bican Tibukoglu intervened, but the loose ball fell to Espart, whose shot was deflected out for a corner by Colak.
Trabzonspor nearly pulled one back in the 49th minute. A corner from Boran Baskan bounced through to Taha Emre Ince, whose header at the back post was cleared off the line by Alba, conceding another corner.
Barcelona continued to press early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Junyent played Diarra in behind the Trabzonspor defense, but Colak parried Diarra’s shot out for a corner.
In the 57th minute, Barcelona extended the lead to 3-0. After evading Arda Ozturk in midfield, Diarra passed to Alba near the penalty area. Alba beat Bican Tibukoglu and fired a shot into the far corner.
Barcelona added a fourth in the 68th minute. Following a long ball from midfield, Pradas received it on the right and passed to Diarra, who placed a low shot into the left side of the goal: 0-4.
Trabzonspor pulled a goal back in the 88th minute. Ekrem Terzi attacked down the right and found Oguzhan Yilmaz near the end line. Yilmaz crossed to the back post, where Bican Tibukoglu headed the ball into the net to make it 1-4.
Barcelona secured a 4-1 victory to lift the UEFA Youth League trophy.
