Barcelona (2) 1- Club Bruges (0) 1

Barcelona: Reina; Gabri, Petit, Abelardo, Sergi; Guardiola (Xavi 70'), Cocu; Simao (Gerard 72'), Rivaldo (Alfonso 72'), Overmars; Kluivert. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 16. Rivaldo (penalty). After Overmars brought down by De Cock.
1-1. 26. Verheyen. Lobbed Reina after mix up between him and Petit.

Barcelona completed the formalities, qualifying for the last 16 of the UEFA cup against a second rate Bruges side, but they did so in with a lukewarm performance that left their supporters disappointed. With a 0-2 lead from the first leg, Serra Ferrer made a few changes to his side, giving club captain Guardiola a run out to shake off some of the cobwebs which had been building up after his three month lay off, playing the versatile Gabri at right back, and bringing back Petit in the heart of the defence. The big change though was in goal, where José Manuel Reina (Pepe to his friends and family) made his full debut at the tender age of 18 after injuries had kept out both first team keepers Dutruel and Arnau. Reina, who is the Barça B team and Spanish under 21 keeper, was watched by his father Miguel, who played in goal himself for Barcelona for seven years between 1966 and 1973 before going on to Atlético Madrid.

Barça started well, with Abelardo heading against the post in the first minute, and after a quarter of an hour they were ahead after De Cock brought down Overmars in the penalty area, Rivaldo converting the resultant penalty (silly walk included). But then an awful mix up between Petit and Reina gifted Bruges a simple equaliser, the French defender failing to check the keeper's position as he headed the ball back to his area. Perhaps a more experienced keeper would have waited, there being no danger, but Reina was charging gung-ho out of his area screaming at Petit to leave the ball to him. It was too late, and all Reina could do then was push the ball out with his shoulder straight to Verheyen, who gratefully lobbed the ball back into the unguarded net.

That was about the last time that Bruges approached the Barcelona goal, and after they were reduced to ten men in the second half when Van der Heyden was shown a second yellow card they rarely crossed the halfway line. Kluivert should have scored in the first half when he beat the offside trap, but his shot bounced up on to the crossbar with Nemec beaten, and he hit the woodwork again near the break with another clever flick on from Guardiola's cross. But as the end of the game approached they sat back to see out the remaining minutes, and some whistles were heard from the crowd who were expecting more. Barcelona are into the last 16 and must be one of the strong favourites, but with this type of performance don't put too much money on them. Still, they now have a couple of months to get it right, and maybe by February they will be back. Right now they need to pull a few Christmas crackers and forget about football for a bit.