Champions League: Barcelona inch closer to last-8 finish with comfortable win at Prague
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Champions League: Barcelona inch closer to last-8 finish with comfortable win at Prague")
Champions League Barcelona inch closer to last-8 finish with easy win at Prague Photograph: (X)
Placed ninth on the Champions League standings, former champions Barcelona has one game left in the league phase to push for a top-eight finish.
Barcelona stay afloat for a top-eight finish in the Champions League phase following their crucial away win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday (Jan 21). Fermin Lopez’s first-half brace and one goal each by Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski in the second half helped the Catalans win 4-2. This win, however, propels them up to the ninth position, with 13 points from seven contested matches, tying them with three teams ahead of them in the standings. Barcelona will next face Copenhagen at home in their final league phase next week.
"I'm happy that we came back and the team played really good and I also think at the end we deserved the points," Barca coach Hansi Flick told reporters. "We didn't start well in this Champions League, but at the end we still have the chance to reach the (top) eight and this is what we want, because then we'll have two games less," he added.
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The La Liga champions returned to winning ways on a freezing night in Prague after Sunday's La Liga loss at Real Sociedad ended a run of 11 successive victories.
Reigning Czech champions Slavia, returning from a winter break, had previously only managed three draws and two goals in the Champions League this season. But they took the lead on 10 minutes as striker Vasil Kusej forced the ball across the goal line at the far post after Tomas Holes's glancing header from a corner.
Lopez pulled Barca level in the 34th minute following a pass from skipper Frenkie de Jong that found him unmarked in the box. He then gave the Catalans the lead eight minutes later with a low shot that caught Slavia goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek unprepared. But Slavia drew level just before half-time as Lewandowski deflected a corner into Joan Garcia's net.
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Olmo spared Barca blushes as he blasted superbly into the top corner in the 63rd minute, three minutes after replacing Pedri who had limped off the pitch.
Watch Olmo's goal -
And Lewandowski found the right net on 71 minutes when he slotted home from close range from a Marcus Rashford pass.
(With inputs from AFP)
