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Barcelona 1-1 Basel

Barcelona 1-1 Basel


Barcelona 1-1 Basel

Eren Derdiyok earned Basel a late equaliser against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Lionel Messi had given Barcelona a lead in the 62nd minute.

"It doesn't mean that when you go to a place and score five that you're going to come back and score 10," Guardiola said. "We played below our usual level, but we have qualified for the next round, which is great news."

Although the hosts controlled play, Barcelona's quick touch passing game often got bogged down outside the Swiss area until the 36th when Costanzo's reaction save denied Henry's close-range header.

Switzerland striker Marco Streller led Basel's attack from the left flank but often had little support after coach Christian Gross switched to a defensive 1-4-1-4 set up after Barcelona tore a 4-4-2 formation apart at St. Jakob-Park.

Basel's Argentine goalkeeper kept the hosts at bay again in the 43rd with another reaction save, this time to Marquez's header. After the slow start, the hosts had seven shots on goal by the halftime whistle.

Guardiola brought Messi on for Krkic and he immediately sparked the offense with his fourth goal of the competition.

Costanzo was now busy, tipping Xavi Hernandez's curling free kick over the bar in the 66th after the Spain midfielder had come on at the hour mark alongside Messi.

Derdiyok earned the Swiss leader its first point of the competition after volleying Carlitos' cross hard into the ground to bounce up into the top of the goal.