Ferran Torres strikes to secure draw for Barcelona at Eintracht Frankfurt

Ferran Torres snatched an equaliser for Barcelona in an entertaining 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening.

Ansgar Knauff’s sensational touch and finish from 20 yards fired the Bundesliga side ahead three minutes after half time, to the delight of a raucous crowd at the Deutsche Bank Park.

Substitutes Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele combined for Torres to equalise for Barcelona in fine fashion, midway through the second half.

Eintracht defender Lucas Tuta was dismissed for the hosts in the closing stages for a second bookable offence and will miss next week’s trip to Catalonia.

An intriguing second leg awaits next week at the Camp Nou with the tie perfectly poised

TALKING POINT – AN OPPORTUNITY MISSED?

Eintracht Frankfurt earned themselves a draw with Europa League favourites Barcelona despite playing the last 12 minutes with 10 men, but was it a chance missed for the Bundesliga side? Oliver Glasner’s men enjoyed the better of a frantic start, squandering a host of gilt-edged chances and were unable to put the visitors away when they were against the ropes. Ansgar Knauff and Djibril Sow should have put Eintracht into a two-goal lead in the first half. Knauff made up for it by firing the opener early in the second half. Eintracht still have a fighting chance of making the semi-finals but must do it the hard way by beating Barcelona at the Camp Nou next Thursday.

MAN OF THE MATCH – MARTIN HINTEREGGER

The Austrian centre-back was a colossal figure for Eintracht in their deserved draw with Barcelona. The 29-year-old defender has come in for criticism in recent weeks after suffering a dip in form but showed his experience and class to ensure his side held on in the face of late Barcelona pressure, after Lucas Tuta was given his marching orders.

PLAYER RATINGS

Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp 6, N’Dicka 6, Hinteregger 8*, Tuta 6, Knauff 7, Jakic 6, Sow 7, Kostic 6, Lindstroem 6, Kamada 6, Borre 7. Subs: Hauge 6, Rode n/a, Toure n/a, Ache n/a.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 6, Alba 7, Garcia 6, Pique n/a, Araujo 6, Pedri 6, Busquets 7, Gavi 6, Traore 5, Torres 7, Aubameyang 6. Subs: Dembele 6, Lenglet 5, De Jong 6.

KEY MOMENTS

38′ EINTRACHT PENALTY WIPED OUT Borre is upended by Busquets and the referee immediately points to the spot but after a VAR intervention, he reverses his decision. No penalty!

48′ GOAL! EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 1-0 BARCELONA (Ansgar Knauff): WHAT A GOAL! Knauff takes a touch, then strikes a sensational effort into the top corner from 20 yards. 1-0 to Eintracht.
– THAT KNAUFF STRIKE!

66′ GOAL! EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 1-1 BARCELONA (Ferran Torres): A wonderfully crafted goal with some lovely one-touch football between De Jong and Dembele sees Ferran Torres fire home the equaliser. All square in Frankfurt.
– TORRES’ LEVELLER