LOPEZ HAT-TRICK, RASHFORD DOUBLE INSPIRE BARCELONA’S 6-1 THRASHING OF OLYMPIACOS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Barcelona roared back to form in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night with a resounding 6-1 victory over Olympiacos, thanks to a Fermin Lopez hat-trick and a Marcus Rashford brace at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal also found the net as Hansi Flick’s men produced a ruthless display to recover from their previous defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase.
Despite being without key players including Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, Barcelona dominated proceedings and moved provisionally to third place in their group, building confidence ahead of Sunday’s much-anticipated El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.
Olympiacos, however, began brightly and almost took an early lead when Alejandro Balde’s defensive error forced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny into a fine save to deny Daniel Podence. But Balde quickly redeemed himself, contributing in attack as his runs down the flank helped open up the Greek defense.
Barcelona drew first blood when Balde’s pass found Lopez, whose deflected effort fell kindly for Yamal. Although goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis initially made a block, Lopez reacted quickest to tap in the rebound.
Lopez doubled his tally before halftime, slotting home from Dro Fernandez’s through ball on the 39th minute. The 17-year-old Fernandez impressed on his Champions League debut, linking up fluently with the attack.
Olympiacos briefly threatened a comeback when Ayoub El Kaabi converted from the penalty spot after Eric Garcia was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. However, their hopes were dashed minutes later when Santiago Hezze received a harsh second yellow card, reducing the hosts to ten men.
From then on, Barcelona took full control. Rashford earned a penalty after being brought down by Tzolakis, and Yamal calmly converted to restore Barca’s two-goal cushion.
Rashford, currently on loan from Manchester United, then stole the show with two quickfire strikes both precise low finishes at the near post—to take his Champions League goal tally to four this season.
Lopez completed his hat-trick in between Rashford’s goals, sealing an emphatic win for the Catalans and giving Flick’s side a timely morale boost ahead of their domestic showdown with arch-rivals Real Madrid.
With this victory, Barcelona not only reignited their Champions League campaign but also showcased their attacking depth and resilience despite an injury-hit squad.
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