Barcelona 6-1 Olympiacos
Barcelona returned to winning ways in the Champions League with a dominant display, leaving Olympiacos struggling under the weight of their relentless attack. A dramatic goal from the visitors early on quickly lost its impact as Barcelona capitalized on playing against ten men, with Fermin Lopez’s brilliant hat-trick sealing a commanding victory for Hansi Flick’s side.
The Catalan giants claimed a 6-1 triumph at home on Tuesday, with Marcus Rashford scoring twice and Lamine Yamal adding another goal. Earlier in October, Barcelona had suffered a 2-1 home defeat to PSG in the Champions League and followed it with a 4-1 loss to Sevilla in La Liga. Recovering from those setbacks, they beat Girona in the domestic league last Saturday and now returned to form on Europe’s grandest stage.
Olympiacos, who had earned just one point from their first two Champions League matches, started strongly, with Daniel Castelo forcing a sharp save from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on a powerful shot from outside the box. However, Barcelona quickly took control. In the seventh minute, Lopez slotted home after Lamine Yamal skillfully maneuvered through the box, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
Barcelona nearly conceded in the 20th minute when Dani Garcia’s powerful strike from outside the box took a deflection and hit the crossbar, but they were saved from conceding. By the 38th minute, the lead doubled thanks to a brilliant move from 17-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez, who set up Lopez to weave past defenders and finish with power, giving Barcelona full control before halftime.
Olympiacos briefly revived the contest at the start of the second half. In the 50th minute, Ayoub El Kaabi headed the ball into the net, but a handball by Eric Garcia in the lead-up awarded Barcelona a penalty instead. El Kaabi converted the spot-kick to reduce the deficit. Four minutes later, Santiago Hezze received a second yellow card for fouling Marc Casado, leaving Olympiacos with ten men and unable to challenge a stronger Barcelona side.
Barcelona capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Yamal converting a penalty in the 68th minute after Rashford was fouled. Shortly after, Barcelona struck twice in quick succession. In the 74th minute, Alejandro Balde’s precise pass found Rashford, who finished confidently, before Lopez completed his hat-trick with a powerful half-volley inside the box.
Even with Yamal returning from injury and substituted between Lopez’s second and third goals, Barcelona’s attack showed no signs of slowing. In the 79th minute, a perfectly timed pass from Pedri allowed Rashford to curl home a shot from outside the box, marking his second goal of the game. The English forward, on loan from Manchester United, scored four times in the match, showcasing his revival at Camp Nou.
With this win, Barcelona now have six points from three matches, while Olympiacos face the risk of slipping further down the group table after their heavy defeat.
