UCL: Barcelona Cruise Past Dynamo, Dest, Braithwaite Scores Firsts

Energetic but youthful Barcelona without Lionel Messi cruised to a 4-0 win away to Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday to reach the Champions League knockout stages for the 17th consecutive season and continue their 100 percent start in the competition.

AllNews understands that the first half was goalless as either team could get the goal but the second half was filled with firsts as Sergino Dest, Martin Braithwaite gets their first goal for Barcelona and in the Champions League.

AllNews also gathered that this the 17th consecutive time Barcelona will be qualifying in 16 seasons.

Into the @ChampionsLeague last 16 for the 1️⃣7️⃣th season in a row!

⭐️ 04/05
⭐️ 05/06
⭐️ 06/07
⭐️ 07/08
⭐️ 08/09
⭐️ 09/10
⭐️ 10/11
⭐️ 11/12
⭐️ 12/13
⭐️ 13/14
⭐️ 14/15
⭐️ 15/16
⭐️ 16/17
⭐️ 17/18
⭐️ 18/19
⭐️ 19/20
⭐️ 20/21

??? pic.twitter.com/cFfukADjJK

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020

After a sluggish first half, the Catalans took the lead early in the second half as US Men's National Team, Sergino Dest completed a moving pass to score his first goal for the club - in the Champions League since joining from Ajax Amsterdam.

READ ALSO: La Liga: Atletico Madrid Defeat Barcelona 1-0, First Win In 10 Years

Danish forward, Martin Braithwaite soon doubled their lead with his first goal in any European competition at the age of 29, diving in from close range to turn in a flicked header from debutant defender Oscar Mingueza.

9️⃣0️⃣ Minutes
2️⃣ Goals
1️⃣ Assist

Good game, @MartinBraith! ??? pic.twitter.com/3Wum4txuuX

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020

Braithwaite struck again in the 70th minute from the penalty spot while substitute Antoine Griezmann got the fourth goal in added time, rounding off a victory which took Group G leaders Barca on to 12 points from four games and clinched their place in the last 16.

❝We deserved it.❞
— @RonaldKoeman, on the 4-0 win pic.twitter.com/OrU8lqmjWS

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 25, 2020

"We've completed our objective, which was to qualify, and we gave a very positive image of ourselves," said Barca coach Ronald Koeman.

"We played with a lot of energy and although we were not very effective in the first half, we dominated the second and had some very nice passages of play. Every player showed hunger and the young players gave good displays too."

With his team on the verge of qualifying from the group and reeling from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, Koeman made eight changes to his side, including keeping captain Messi and Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong at home.

French players, Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were missing from starting line-ups as Barcelona named their youngest starting 11 in a Champions League game since 2011 with an average age of 24.

The #DynamoBarça XI is our youngest in the @ChampionsLeague by average age since Dec. 6, 2011 vs BATE Borisov.

Today: 24 years, 206 days

Nine years ago: 23 years, 93 days pic.twitter.com/P5CUQ9b2Al

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020

Gerard Pique's serious knee injury against Atletico left Barca with only one fit central defender and Koeman was forced to turn to 21-year-old Mingueza, who began the season in the club's reserve side.

U.S forward Konrad de la Fuente and Brazilian midfielder Matheus Fernandes also made their first-team debuts, coming off the bench late in the game.

Barcelona also fielded two USMNT players - Sergino Dest and Konrad de la Fuente, the first team to do that since Manchester United in 2004.

We're the first team to have two ?? players (@sergino_dest & @konradjr) on the field in the @ChampionsLeague since Manchester United did on December 8, 2004 (@TimHowardGK & @JSpector23) pic.twitter.com/xJRqMbfPCQ

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 24, 2020