Pique Gives Barcelona Drab Win Over APOEL

A goal by Gerard Pique gave
Barcelona a winning start to their Champions
League campaign, but they were far from
convincing 1-0 victors at home to Cypriots APOEL
Nicosia on Wednesday.
Pique headed home the only goal of the game
from Lionel Messi's free-kick midway through the
first-half, but APOEL managed to subdue a much
changed Barca side despite the presence of Messi
and Neymar up front.
And Luis Enrique's men had debutant Marc-Andre
ter Stegen to thank for a fourth consecutive
victory to start the season as the German 'keeper
made a flying save in stoppage time to deny
Gustavo Manduca.
Barca do though go to the top of Group F as Ajax
held French champions PSG 1-1 in Amsterdam
with Barca set to travel to Paris on matchday
two.
"We struggled. We tried to move the ball quickly
and we didn't manage to do it," Barca midfielder
Xavi Hernandez told Canal Plus.
"It is true we dominated. We tried through the
middle and wide, but they defended very well.
"In the end it was a tiring game, but we have won
and we have to treat it like it is. It is always
good to start the group stage with three points,"
added Xavi, who equalled compatriot Raul's all-
time record of Champions League appearances
with 142.
Enrique made nine changes from the side that
started Saturday's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao
with Messi and Munir El Haddadi the only players
to retain their place.
Sergi Samper became the latest youngster to
make his debut in the early stages of Enrique's
reign, whilst Neymar was handed his first start of
the season after coming off the bench to score
both his side's goals at the weekend.
The number of changes appeared to affect
Barca's rhythm in the first-half as they dominated
without creating many clear-cut chances from
open play.
Messi was first to threaten with a curling free-
kick that Urko Pardo in the APOEL goal did well to
turn to safety.
Barca then went in front from another Messi free-
kick as this time the Argentine's in-swinging
delivery was headed home at the near post by
Pique.
Messi and Neymar were continuing to link-up
well after the former provided the Brazilian with
two assists at the weekend and the roles were
reversed five minutes before the break as Messi
fired Neymar's cutback towards goal and Pardo
made another impressive save.
A similar pattern ensued after the break, but the
visitors also provided more of a threat and
wasted two half chances as Tomas De Vincenti
saw a goalbound effort deflected wide by Marc
Bartra before Mario Sergio's cross was cut out by
Dani Alves with two unmarked teammates waiting
for a better delivery.
Barca should have put the game to bed when
Alves picked out Neymar at the back post, but
his header was heading off target before Munir
turned the ball home and was rightly flagged for
offside.
Neymar and Messi were foiled again as the game
entered stoppage time, Neymar's deflected shot
was well saved by Pardo and Messi's follow up
brilliantly blocked by Sergio.
And the hosts could have been made to pay for a
lacklustre display when Ter-Stegen was forced
into the first serious save of his Barca career
when he tipped Manduca's well-struck effort
behind for a corner.