Barcelona have won their third match in a row in the league stage and will finish matchday 4 in the top 8 of the Champions League standings for the first time this season thanks to a comfortable 5-2 win away to Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday evening. Barça played a mature game to cope with one of the toughest conditions in world football and secure three more points in Europe, and Hansi Flick’s men have now won seven games in a row in all competitions.

FIRST HALF

Barça made a good start, dominating the ball and creating early chances with good passing and movement. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed some early chances and Iñigo Martínez scored the 0 Blaugrana taking the lead after 13 minutes with a header from a free kick, giving the visitors the lead.

Red Star responded well from going behind and used the crowd’s energy to push them forward in search of an equalizer. They struggled to find a way to beat Barça’s offside trap, but Silas eventually stayed onside and lobbed Iñaki Peña near the half-hour mark to get things in order and send the ball . Marakana in frenzy.

The hosts dropped back to try to avoid conceding a second before the end of the half, while Barça continued to play good things, but it looked as if the visitors would not find the net again until the 43rd minute when Raphinha fired a rocket into the 43rd minute. post and Robert Lewandowski was quickest to the rebound and scored an easy tap-in to put the away side back in front.

The half-time whistle brought an end to an enjoyable period dominated by Barça, but Red Star was still very much alive and the second half promised to be quite entertaining.

SECOND HALF

Barça started the last period even better, with a higher passing pace and more intensity without the ball, and that good work was enough to complete the victory: two perfectly executed attacks down the right wing ended with two assists from Jules Kounde, the first for another Lewandowski tap and the second for finding Raphinha, who scored a beautiful goal to make it 4-1 shortly before the hour mark.

Then came a scary moment for Barça when Pau Cubarsí was kicked in the head by Red Star captain Uros Spajic and his teammates looked desperate for a moment, but the young centre-back was able to run off under his own steam as he was substituted. from Sergi Domínguez with about 20 minutes to go.

The Blaugrana had secured the win and looked to remain solid at the back and perhaps add more goals on the counter, while the hosts had more possession and tried to find a second to spark an unlikely comeback. They were unable to create any chances and instead conceded a fifth, with Konde completing his hat-trick of assists by finding Fermín López in the box for a neat toe-poke finish to quadruple Barça’s lead.

Red Star got one back ten minutes from time thanks to a great curling effort from Felicio Milson, but that was all the hosts could get in the final seconds as the final whistle blew to confirm Barça’s victory with a lead of three goals.

This was a solid, mature performance to face the hostile atmosphere and achieve victory on the road. Barça stepped on the gas when they needed to, and the fact that they can now manage and win games without having to play at 100% intensity for 90 minutes is a good development as Flick’s squad continues to develop.

Well done, guys!

Crvena Zvezda: Ilic; Seol, Djiga, Spajic, Rodic (Milson 59′); Kanga (Gomes 72′); Silas (Katai 83′), Krunic, Elsnik, Maksimovic (Ilic 72′); India (Proetsev 83′)

Goals: Silas (27′), Milson (83′)

Barcelona: Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí (Domínguez 67′), Iñigo, Martín; De Jong (Gavi 68′), Casado; Yamal, Pedri (Olmo 58′), Raphinha (Fermin 58′); Lewandowski (Víctor 78′)

Goals: Iñigo (13′), Lewandowski (43′, 53′), Raphinha (55′), Fermin (76′)