Barcelona have won their third straight match in the League Phase and will finish Matchday 4 in the Top 8 of the Champions League standings for the first time this season thanks to a comfortable 5-2 win away to Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday night. Barça played a mature game to handle one of the toughest atmospheres in world football and secure three more points in Europe, and Hansi Flick’s men have now won seven games in a row in all competitions.
FIRST HALF
Barça made a good start to proceedings, dominating the ball and creating early chances with good passing and movement. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha wasted a couple of early opportunities, and Iñigo Martínez gave the Blaugrana the lead 13 minutes in with a header from a free-kick to put the visitors in front.
Red Star had a good response to going behind, using the energy of the crowd to propel them forward in search of an equalizer. They struggled to find a way to beat Barça’s offside trap, but Silas finally stayed onside and lobbed Iñaki Peña near the half-hour mark to tie things up and send the Maracana into a frenzy.
The hosts dropped back to try and avoid conceding a second before the end of the half while Barça continued to play good stuff, but it seemed as though the visitors wouldn’t find the net again until the 43rd minute when Raphinha fired a rocket against the post and Robert Lewandowski was quickest to the rebound and scored an easy tap-in to put the away side back in front.
The halftime whistle came to end a fun period that was dominated by Barça, but Red Star were very much still alive and the second half promised to be quite entertaining.
SECOND HALF
Barça made an even better start to the final period, with a faster pace to their passing and more intensity without the ball, and that good work was enough to wrap up the victory: two perfectly crafted attacks down the right wing ended with two assists by Jules Kounde, the first for another Lewandowski tap-in and the second to find Raphinha, who scored a gorgeous goal to make it 4-1 shortly before the hour mark.
Then came a scary moment for Barça when Pau Cubarsí was kicked in the head by Red Star captain Uros Spajic and his teammates looked quite desperate for a moment, but the young center-back was able to walk off under his own power as he was substituted by Sergi Domínguez with around 20 minutes to go.
The Blaugrana had the win secured and looked to stay solid at the back and maybe add more goals on the counter, while the hosts had more of the possession and tried to find a second to ignite an unlikely comeback. They couldn’t create any chances and conceded a fifth instead, as Kounde completed his hat-trick of assists by finding Fermín López in the box for a nice toe poke finish to quadruple Barça’s lead.
Red Star got one back with 10 minutes to go thanks to an amazing curling effort by Felicio Milson, but that was all the hosts would get in the dying seconds as the final whistle came to confirm Barça’s win by a three-goal advantage.
This was a solid, mature performance to handle the hostile atmosphere and get the win on the road. Barça stepped on the gas when they needed to, and the fact they are now able to manage and win matches without needing to play at 100% intensity for 90 minutes is a good development as Flick’s side continues to evolve.
Well done, boys!
Red Star: Ilic; Seol, Djiga, Spajic, Rodic (Milson 59'); Close (Gomes 72’); Silas (Katai 83'), Krunic, Elsnik, Maksimovic (Ilic 72'); Ndiaye (Prutsev 83')
Goals: Silas (27’), Milson (83’)
Barcelona: Rock; Kounde, Cubarsi (Dominguez 67'), Iñigo, Martin; De Jong (Gavi 68'), Married; Yamal, Pedri (Elm 58'), Leaf (Fermin 58'); Lewandowski (Victor 78')
Goals: Iñigo (13'), Lewandowski (43', 53'), Raphinha (55'), Fermín (76')
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