The Blaugrana team achieved in the Champions League what it had not achieved in La Liga: winning without Lamine. They did so at home, against Brest. Lewandowski, who scored his 100th goal in the competition, scored twice and Dani Olmo was the author of the remaining goal.
FC Barcelona, sixth in the standings, hosted Brest, who arrived fourth and undefeated in the Champions League. More than two thousand French fans travelled to the city and had a warm pre-match to cheer on their team. On the other hand, the Catalans played without the cheering stands, which were closed on Tuesday by the club itself.
A comfortable first half
Barça controlled the game from the first moment. Their rivals had two early approaches to the beat of a brave start, but they did not scare Flick's pupils. In addition, the home team's goal was not long in coming: Pedri chipped a ball into the area, Lewandowski controlled it with his chest and Bizot ran over the striker. Clear penalty. The Polish striker himself, in the 8th minute, scored his 100th goal in 125 Champions League matches.
The Blaugrana team was astonishingly superior. From 1-0 onwards, their rivals dedicated themselves to defending, trying to avoid a downpour of goals. Fermín was close to doubling the advantage in the 23rd minute, after a pass to the penalty spot from Raphinha. However, his foot failed and he sent the ball wide.
Although the Blaugrana team orchestrated the game to their liking, with Pedri as director, the Breton wall was very solid. Fermín López was close to breaking it, again. On the edge of half-time, Casadó put in a cross from the edge of the area and the player from El Campillo connected with a splendid header. However, it went straight in and was rejected by Bizot with the inside of his right boot.
Second half to give the final push
When the match resumed, Brest wanted to take a step forward. For its part, Barça maintained its high level. Fermín had a third important chance in the 53rd minute. He received a backheel pass from Lewandowski on the left and fired a cross shot. However, he came up against Bizot, who was his own particular black beast.
Unlike the first half, Brest kept the accelerator down for longer. This did not allow Barça to play with the same comfort. They continued to have control and continued to have chances, such as a shot from Olmo cleared off the line by Chardonnet. However, the visiting team constantly threatened with fast counterattacks, although they did not manage to bother Iñaki Peña.
So often does the pitcher go to the well that in the end it breaks. It does not always happen, but in this case it did. In the 66th minute, Dani Olmo dressed as a tailor to make a suit for Chardonnet and score the 2-0 with a low shot. This was the first goal for the player from Egar in the Champions League this season.
FC Barcelona controlled the final moments of the match. Brest threatened with counterattacks, and Pereira Lage even scored a goal, but it was ruled out for offside. However, Lewandowski scored the last blow at the last minute, with a cross shot from inside the area. With this result, the Blaugrana team is second in the table with 12 points, awaiting the games against Liverpool and Monaco.
Match information
- FC Barcelona, 3:
- Iñaki Peña; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Gerard Martín (Balde, min. 78); Casadó, Pedri (De Jong, min. 88); Raphinha, Olmo (Gavi, min. 68), Fermín (Pablo Torre, min. 78); and Lewandowski.
- Brest, 0:
- Bizot; Lala, Le Cardinal, Chardonnet, Haidara; Fernandes (Martin, min. 78), Magnetti, Camara (Faivre, min. 70); Sima (Baldé, min. 59), Ajorque (Del Castillo, min. 78) and Doumbia (Pereira Lage, min. 70).
- Goals: 1-0 Lewandowski (min. 8). 2-0 Dani Olmo (min. 66). 3-0 Lewandowski (min. 90+3)
- Referee:
- Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Showed the yellow card to the visitors Lala, Camara, Ajorque y Le Cardinal.
FC Barcelona's next match will be at the weekend. Specifically, the Blaugrana team will host UD Las Palmas on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Follow the latest news from the Blaugrana team on FCBN.