In a 6-1 win over Olympiacos on Tuesday, Fermin Lopez scored a hat-trick and Marcus Rashford scored twice to put Barcelona back on course for the Champions League.
Lamine Yamal, a teen star, was also on target for Hansi Flick’s side, who had previously faced Paris Saint-Germain in their previous European match.
Ayoub El Kaabi scored a penalty saver for the Greek champions after Lopez double, but Santiago Hezze’s red card made it possible for the injured-hit Barcelona to record a high scoreline and place them temporarily in third place.
Without Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and other regulars, Flick’s team was unable to win the game’s opener against Real Madrid on Sunday in La Liga.
After scoring his treble, Lopez told Movistar, “We needed a win like that, we ended it feeling good and now consider the Clasico.”
“I’m appreciative of the team and want to keep this dynamic.”
In a tight Catalan derby, Barcelona almost lost ground right away against the Greeks despite just squandering a win over Girona on Saturday.
Wojciech Szczesny, a veteran goalkeeper, had to get down well to deny Daniel Podence after Alejandro Balde gave the ball away.
Balde quickly made amends in the attack as Barca carved out a new opening for the visitors thanks to his driving performances.
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After Dro Fernandez and Balde connected on the left, Rashford volleyed narrowly over.
Balde was back in action as Barca jumped out to a lead and fed Lopez, who had played Yamal.
Konstantinos Tzolakis, the teenage winger, was on hand to bundle the loose ball home.
Barca controlled the game thanks to Rashford’s free kick into the side-netting, but their lack of defensive focus has been a constant issue this season.
Their lapses in concentration are concerning because Sunday’s Clasico is beckoning.
Olympiacos lifeline was short-lived.
After being played in by Dro on his Champions League debut, Lopez scored his second after 39 minutes.
The midfielder almost scored his hat-trick in the opening period of the second half, but Tzolakis whipped his header past the post from Yamal’s cross.
Moroccan striker El Kaabi gave the Olympiacos a commanding lead into the second half.
The forward headed home after Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia got the ball, but Garcia gave Olympiacos a penalty for handball.
El Kaabi slotted past Szczesny to give his team a chance, but their chances vanished as a result.
After making an appearance that appeared innocent, Barca’s Marc Casado hit Hezze, who received a harsh second yellow card, to the ground.
After tumbling under Tzolakis’ challenge, Rashford won a penalty and Yamal sent the wrong way to give Barca a 68-minute lead.
Rashford scored two goals in six minutes for the Catalans as they ran out of steam while on loan from Manchester United.
After scoring twice in their win at Newcastle, Rashford twice overcame Tzolakis with clinical low near-post finishes to score four goals in the Champions League this year.
Source: Channels TV
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