Barcelona beat Slavia Prague 4-2 to stay in top-eight hunt
Barcelona kept their hopes of a top-eight finish alive with a 4–2 victory over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League, producing a performance that combined attacking quality with moments of vulnerability at the back.
It was the hosts who struck first, as Vasil Kušej bundled the ball into the net from a corner to give Slavia an early advantage.
Barcelona responded emphatically, turning the game on its head with an eight-minute brace from Fermín López.
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His second goal was the standout of the half, a superb curling effort from outside the penalty area that arced beyond goalkeeper Staněk.
However, Barcelona’s lead was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Robert Lewandowski inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net, allowing Slavia to head into the interval level.
The visitors regained control shortly after the restart, with Dani Olmo making an instant impact off the bench.
Having been on the pitch for less than five minutes, Olmo unleashed a powerful strike into the top corner to restore Barcelona’s advantage in what proved to be the goal of the night.
Seven minutes later, Lewandowski made amends for his earlier error, finishing from close range to extend Barcelona’s lead and seal the contest.
Statistically, Barcelona edged the encounter, registering a higher expected goals (xG) figure of 1.42, compared to Slavia’s 1.01, reflecting their greater attacking threat.
The result leaves Barcelona ninth in the league phase, level on points with seven other teams. While automatic qualification is not entirely in their hands, a home victory over Copenhagen on Matchday Eight would significantly boost their chances of securing a place in the top eight.
For Slavia Prague, any remaining hopes of finishing inside the top 24 have been extinguished. They sit 34th in the standings, remain one of only three teams yet to record a win, and will conclude their campaign away to Pafos.
