Pique the head boy as Barça edge past APOEL
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E-mail Xinhua, September 18, 2014
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Gerard Piqué scores the opening goal by heading in Lionel Messi's free-kick. |
FC Barcelona defeated APOEL Nicosia on Wednesday night by 1-0 at the Camp Nou stadium, thanks to a goal from Gerard Pique.
The match, which started at 20:45 local time (1845 GTM) in the northeastern city of Barcelona, was mainly dominated by FC Barcelona.
In the first half of the game Xavi, Messi and Neymar shot in the first 20 minutes of game without any success, but Pique scored the winning goal after the first 28 minutes of the first half.
After the goal, Cypriot players improved their defense, but in the second half of the game FC Barcelona continued to dominate the match, while a goal from Munir was disallowed because he was in an offside position.
Barcelona opened up their Champions League campaign against APOEL Nicosia on Wednesday, while for the third time APOEL made it to the group stages of the Champions League. It had reached the quarter-finals in the 2011-12 campaign when they were beaten by Real Madrid.
FC Barcelona have reached six Champions League semi-finals and won twice.
The two teams had never met before although APOEL goalkeeper Urko Pardo knew Barcelona as he spent eight years with them as a youngster.
Before the match, Barcelona's coach Luis Enrique said that the players would feel special nerves before the match because of "what this competition means". So far, Barcelona has won all three of their league games.
"We have started well in the league, now we need to do the same in the Champions League", Luis Enrique had said.
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