Barcelona continued their Champions League resurgence with a convincing 5-2 victory over Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday night, securing their third consecutive win in the League Phase.
This crucial result will see Barça finish Matchday 4 within the Champions League Top 8 for the first time this season, reflecting the strong momentum they’ve gathered under Hansi Flick.
With this win, Barça extends their unbeaten run to seven matches across all competitions.
The Blaugrana started assertively, dominating possession from the outset and creating early chances.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed a couple of promising opportunities, but their pressure soon paid off. In the 13th minute, Iñigo Martínez put the visitors in front, skillfully heading in from a free-kick. His goal brought immediate control to Barça, setting the tone for the rest of the half.
Red Star, however, responded energetically, driven by the passionate home crowd at the Marakana. They struggled to break through Barça’s disciplined defense and offside traps, but persistence paid off.
Near the half-hour mark, Silas cleverly timed his run to stay onside and managed to lob goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, equalizing the score to the delight of the fans.
While the hosts focused on defense to avoid a second goal before halftime, Barça kept pressing, showcasing their quality in attack.
Their efforts finally bore fruit in the 43rd minute when Raphinha launched a powerful shot that struck the post. Lewandowski capitalized on the rebound, netting a simple tap-in to put Barça back in front just before the break.
The second half saw Barça step up their game even more, with quicker passing and high-energy pressing that allowed them to dominate Red Star.
They soon reaped the rewards with two well-executed attacks down the right flank. Jules Kounde was instrumental in both, delivering perfect assists – one to Lewandowski for another easy finish, and another to Raphinha, who delivered a beautiful strike to extend Barça’s lead to 4-1 before the hour mark.
Tension briefly rose when young center-back Pau Cubarsí was hit in the head by Red Star captain Uros Spajic, sparking concern among his teammates.
Fortunately, Cubarsí was able to walk off the field and was replaced by Sergi Domínguez with about 20 minutes left.
With the game under control, Barça focused on maintaining defensive stability while seeking chances on the counterattack.
Red Star gained more possession but couldn’t penetrate Barça’s backline, and the visitors instead added a fifth goal.
Kounde completed his impressive night with a third assist, finding Fermín López in the box for a tidy toe-poke finish, pushing the score to 5-1.
Red Star did manage a consolation goal in the closing stages through Felicio Milson, who curled in a stunning strike from distance.
However, it was too late to impact the outcome as Barça held firm for a three-goal victory.
This composed, strategic win demonstrated Barça’s maturity and ability to control high-stakes matches.
Hansi Flick’s side has shown it can manage games effectively, ramping up intensity as needed and conserving energy when possible – a promising sign as they continue to grow in strength and cohesion in Europe.
