Barcelona boosted their chances of reaching the UEFA champions League last 16 with an entertaining 4–2 victory over Slavia Prague on Wednesday night.
Fermin Lopez’s first-half brace and second-half goals by Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski sealed the crucial win away.
The result keeps Barcelona in contention for a top-eight finish in the league phase, which guarantees automatic qualification for the knockout stage.
Barcelona returned to winning ways on a freezing night in Prague after Sunday’s La Liga loss at San Sebastian ended a run of 11 successive victories.
Slavia made a bright start and stunned the visitors in the 10th minute when 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.
Lopez 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.
Olmo spared Barca blushes as he blasted superbly into the top corner in the 63rd minute, three minutes after replacing Pedri.
And Lewandowski found the right net on 71 minutes turning in from close range after a pass from Marcus Rashford to seal the win.
Hansi Flick was without the suspended Lamine Yamal and striker Ferran Torres due to a muscle injury.
The game started with a minute’s silence for the victims of Sunday’s train crash in Spain that left 43 dead.
Slavia were eliminated after a fourth loss in seven European outings left them third-bottom in the standings.
