UEFA Champions League — Lopez braces as Barcelona beat Slavia Prague 4-2

Barcelona came from behind to beat Slavia Prague 4-2 on a chilly night in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Fermin Lopez scoring twice and Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski adding second-half goals to secure victory.

The win moved Barcelona to ninth in the standings with one match remaining on 13 points, level with seven other teams vying for a place in the top eight and direct qualification to the round of 16. Slavia, on the other hand, are languishing in third from bottom with just three points.

On a bitterly cold evening in Prague, with temperatures dropping to minus eight degrees Celsius, Slavia stunned the visiting team with an early lead. Through a cleverly executed corner in the tenth minute, Tomas Holes tapped a throw from the near post to the far post, where Vasil Kusej bundled the ball over the line under pressure from Frenkie de Jong.

Barcelona leveled in the 34th minute through Lopez, who unleashed a sharp, angled attack from the penalty area and squeezed the ball past goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek at the near post after a weak deflection off the Slovakian’s shoulder.

Lopez doubled his score and gave Barcelona the lead in the 42nd minute with a fine effort from the edge of the penalty area. The attacking midfielder found the bottom right corner with precision, leaving Stanek without a chance.

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Barca’s lead lasted just two minutes as an unfortunate defensive mishap allowed Slavia to equalize. Under pressure defending a corner, Lewandowski inadvertently allowed the ball to deflect off his shoulder and into his own net, sending the teams into halftime at 2-2.

After regrouping at half-time, Barcelona took control of the match in the second half and attacked Slavia’s defense relentlessly.

Raphinha, Pedri and Lopez all squandered good chances before substitute Olmo produced a moment of magic. In the 64th minute he fired an unstoppable goal from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner, emphatically restoring Barcelona’s lead.

Lewandowski made up for his earlier own goal by sealing the victory in the 70th minute.

Marcus Rashford – another second-half substitute – made a blistering run down the left flank and delivered a cross into the penalty area. Although Lewandowski initially struggled to control the pass, he quickly responded to poke the ball past Stanek and give Barcelona a two-goal cushion.

«We knew it would be a difficult match because of the cold weather. They put a lot of pressure on us, it was tough… my feet and hands hurt, I can barely feel them… It was tough, but we managed to come back and win,» Lopez said. MovistarPlus.

«We were aware that goal difference was something important to secure a place in the top eight. We wanted to keep a clean sheet but that was difficult. It’s a good thing we played well and got the win.»

Published on January 22, 2026