Barcelona clinched their third consecutive win in the Champions League Group Stage with a dominant 5-2 victory away to Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday night. The Blaugrana’s comfortable win propelled them to the top 8 in the Champions League standings for the first time this season. The team showed maturity and resilience, handling one of the most challenging atmospheres in world football, and extended their impressive run to seven consecutive victories across all competitions.
First Half: Barça Take Control with Quick Response
Barcelona got off to a strong start, controlling possession and creating early opportunities with some sharp passing and movement. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both wasted chances early on, but it was Iñigo Martínez who broke the deadlock in the 13th minute. The center-back rose to meet a free-kick with a powerful header to give Barça the lead.
Red Star responded well to going behind, feeding off the energy of their home crowd. Despite their pressure, they struggled to break through Barcelona’s offside trap until the 27th minute. Silas finally evaded the defenders and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Iñaki Peña to equalize, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
With the game tied at 1-1, the hosts sat back to avoid conceding a second goal, while Barcelona continued to press forward. The visitors looked likely to regain the lead just before halftime, and in the 43rd minute, they did. Raphinha’s powerful shot rattled the post, but Robert Lewandowski was quickest to react to the rebound, tapping in to give Barça a 2-1 advantage as the halftime whistle blew.
Second Half: Barça Take Control and Seal the Victory
The second half saw Barcelona pick up the pace, showing more intensity both with and without the ball. This heightened energy quickly paid off. Two well-executed attacks down the right side, both initiated by Jules Koundé, resulted in two more goals. The first, in the 53rd minute, saw Lewandowski score his second of the night with another tap-in, before Koundé set up Raphinha for a brilliant strike in the 55th minute to make it 4-1.
Red Star then suffered a scare when Pau Cubarsí was accidentally kicked in the head by captain Uros Spajic, leaving the young center-back in need of medical attention. Thankfully, Cubarsí was able to walk off the pitch and was substituted by Sergi Domínguez.
With the game well in hand, Barcelona remained solid defensively while occasionally threatening on the counter. The hosts enjoyed more possession but were unable to create any clear chances. In the 76th minute, Koundé completed his hat-trick of assists, feeding Fermín López, who finished neatly with a toe-poke to make it 5-1.
Red Star managed to pull one back in the 83rd minute through a stunning curling effort from Felicio Milson, but it was too little, too late. The final whistle blew with the score at 5-2, confirming another dominant performance for Barcelona on the road.
A Professional and Controlled Performance
This victory was a textbook example of Barcelona’s maturity in handling challenging away games. The team didn’t need to play at full intensity for the entire 90 minutes but knew when to turn up the pressure and when to manage the game. Their ability to control the tempo and respond to Red Star’s challenges speaks to their growing confidence and tactical flexibility under Hansi Flick.
Lineups & Goals
Crvena Zvezda: Ilic; Seol, Djiga, Spajic, Rodic (Milson 59’); Kanga (Gomes 72’); Silas (Katai 83’), Krunic, Elsnik, Maksimovic (Ilic 72’); Ndiaye (Prutsev 83’)
Goals: Silas (27’), Milson (83’)
Barcelona: Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí (Domínguez 67’), Iñigo, Martín; De Jong (Gavi 68’), Casadó; Yamal, Pedri (Olmo 58’), Raphinha (Fermín 58’); Lewandowski (Víctor 78’)
Goals: Iñigo (13’), Lewandowski (43’, 53’), Raphinha (55’), Fermín (76’)
Barcelona’s solid performance not only secured the points but also demonstrated their ability to thrive under pressure, setting them up well for the remainder of the Champions League campaign. Well done, Barça!