Barcelona stunned by Shakhtar, miss early Champions League knockout

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Barcelona missed the opportunity to become the first team to secure a place in the Champions League knockout stages as they were shocked by Shakhtar Donetsk.

The game’s only goal was scored by Danylo Sikan, who met Giorgi Gocholeishvili’s cross with a looping header.

Despite dominating possession, Barcelona couldn’t break down the Ukrainian champions, needing only a point in Hamburg to advance from Group H with two matches to spare.

Xavi’s team still tops Group H with 9 points and can secure their spot in the knockout stages if they avoid defeat against Porto in their next match on November 28. On the other hand, Shakhtar, who last beat Barcelona in 2008, sits third in Group H with six points.

Marino Pusic’s squad aims to reach the knockout stages for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Roma.