Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Barça: Ferran Torres earns a draw on difficult night
The Catalans struggled and on another day might have been defeated in Germany
Barcelona were not at their sparkling best against Eintracht Frankfurt, but they did enough to draw and head into the home clash of their Europa League quarter-final on level footing next week.
Ferran Torres came close in the opening stages with Kevin Trapp making a fine save from his top-corner bound piledriver.
However Frankfurt began to create themselves and Djibril Sow should have scored but fired wide of the post.
The hosts, at a raucous Deutsche Bank Park, were awarded a penalty for an apparent foul by Sergio Busquets, but the replays showed he got the ball and it was stricken from the records.
Still, Frankfurt’s hustle and aggression was difficult for Barcelona to handle and they suffered in the first half.
Aubameyang had a chance at the other end but it was tipped wide by Trapp, who is in in fine form of late.
It was not surprising that Frankfurt took the lead then, although the way they did was - an absolute swerving rocket from Ansgar Knauff from outside the area. Ter Stegen, no chance.
Barcelona made changes, Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong came on, and both were bright and involved in the equaliser, converted coolly by Ferran Torres.
Dembele drove inside from the right and played an incisive ball into De Jong, who exchanged passes with Ferran and then gave it back again, for the forward to tuck home well.
Tuta was sent off for a late foul on Pedri and Barcelona might wish they could have got a win in the final stages against 10 men, but they will be confident of completing the job at Camp Nou next week.
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