First-half goals from Fermin Lopez and second-half strikes by Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski powered Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, keeping the Spanish side firmly in contention for a top-eight finish in the league phase.
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The win keeps Barcelona’s hopes alive of securing a direct place in the last 16, with one group-stage match remaining. The Catalans will host Copenhagen in their final league-phase fixture next week.
“I’m happy that we came back and the team played really well. In the end, I think we deserved the points,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said after the match. “We didn’t start well in this Champions League, but we still have the chance to reach the top eight, which is our goal.”
Barcelona bounced back after their 11-match winning streak was snapped by a La Liga defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday, producing a composed display on a cold night in the Czech capital.
Slavia Prague, the reigning Czech champions, surprised the visitors by taking an early lead in the 10th minute when Vasil Kusej bundled the ball home at the far post following a corner headed on by Tomas Holes.
Barcelona equalised in the 34th minute when Frenkie de Jong’s pass found Lopez unmarked in the box, and the midfielder made no mistake. Lopez struck again eight minutes later, firing a low shot past goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek to give Barca a 2-1 lead.
Slavia responded just before the break, levelling the score when Lewandowski inadvertently deflected a corner into his own net.
The visitors regained control in the second half. Dani Olmo, who had just replaced the injured Pedri, curled a superb shot into the top corner in the 63rd minute to restore Barcelona’s advantage. Lewandowski then made amends for his earlier own goal by scoring from close range in the 71st minute after being set up by Marcus Rashford.
“We knew it would be a tough game because of the conditions and the pressure they apply here,” Lopez said. “The most important thing is the victory, and now we move on to the next match.”
Barcelona were without suspended winger Lamine Yamal and injured forward Ferran Torres. Flick confirmed that Yamal will return against Copenhagen, while Pedri and Torres remain doubtful and De Jong will miss the match due to suspension.
Before kickoff, players and fans observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of a train crash in Spain that claimed 43 lives.
Slavia Prague were eliminated from the competition after suffering their fourth defeat in seven European matches, leaving them near the bottom of the standings.
