Barcelona churned out a 3-0 win over Brest last night at Montjuic, finally stopping the bleeding and getting a much-needed win.
The Catalans opened the scoring early through Robert Lewandowski from the penalty spot but were then forced into a queer situation where they had numerous chances but simply could not find the finishing touch.
After plenty of chances missed, Dani Olmo netted Barcelona’s second goal of the night past the hour mark before the Polish striker again scored in extra-time to put the final nail in the coffin.
The win takes Barcelona provisionally to second place on the table, only behind Inter Milan, and they sit pretty with 12 points after five games. Liverpool and Monaco have a chance to overtake them, however, as they have a game in hand.
Barça Universal brings you three takeaways for Hansi Flick from Barcelona 3-0 Brest.
A much-needed dominant win
Barcelona needed this victory. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Tuesday night’s result gave Barcelona’s dressing room exactly what they needed to bounce back from their struggles in recent games.
The Catalans dropped five of their last six points ahead of last night’s clash but what stung the most was the way they played, struggling to dominate the proceedings and even falling flat on opposition counterattacks with a leaky offside trap.
Last night, however, Flick’s men seemingly fixed all the aforementioned problems and looked closer to their best with improvements all across the field.
For starters, the team was in control of the game from start to finish and clocked up a comfortable win without much difficulty. They always had possession of the ball, did not give Brest any scope to attack and had all the big chances of the game.
Defensively, Gerard Martin had a better performance than he had against Celta and even clocked up an assist for Dani Olmo’s goal. He too managed to hold his line on the offside trap.
Most importantly, the forward line generated significant threat even without Lamine Yamal with Raphinha, Olmo and Fermin Lopez all taking charge of the playmaking.
Lewandowski moves closer to greatness
Robert Lewandowski reached 100 goals in the Champions League. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The spotlight shone brightly on Robert Lewandowski ahead of kickoff as the Polish striker entered the game with 99 UEFA Champions League goals and was just one away from netting a historic 100th.
It did not take long for the veteran to get his chance as he was taken down by the goalkeeper early in the game and earned a penalty.
Stepping up to net his 100th goal in UCL history and securing a place in the competition’s legacy, Lewandowski did not break a sweat as he calmly sent Marco Bizot the wrong way and gave Barcelona the lead.
Over the next 80 minutes, the player did not have a whole lot much to do and he often dropped back into a deeper role to aid in the playmaking.
In the 92nd minute, however, he received a wonderful ball from Alejandro Balde and did exceptionally well to control it in tight space.
Finding the tiniest of spaces, he rolled it into the far corner of the net to complete his brace and thus netted his 101st goal in the competition.
The Barcelona star is now only the third player in history to have a three-digit goal tally in the Champions League after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, he is now the only active player in the competition to have such a record.
Further, it is astounding to note that he hit the 100-goal mark even faster than Ronaldo and only behind Messi by a couple of games.
Maestros in midfield
Barcelona’s midfielder dominated the game. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Flick’s Barcelona has been successful across the park but has been built on two primary foundations – the defence and defensive midfield pairing.
Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi, at this point, have become synonymous with defensive excellence and have developed a great understanding of each other’s games to form a solid partnership.
The defensive midfield, however, has been more regularly rotated given Flick’s more vast options. Last night’s game, however, once again reiterated why the Pedri-Marc Casado combination is the best Barcelona have and a foundation for their success.
Casado was phenomenal on the night, recovering well from the hiccup at the weekend and barely allowing any counterattacks past his watch with regular and well-timed defensive interceptions.
His excellent distribution was only a cherry on the cake as he orchestrated the play from deep and often looked for long balls to toss forward.
Pedri, without a goal or an assist to his name, dropped a masterclass yet again and showed why he is better suited in the double pivot than the attacking midfield.
The Canary Islander ran the show against Brest, controlling the entire midfield and frustrating the Ligue 1 side.
His ability to turn away from pressure and dribble through tight spaces made him a joy to watch and it is no surprise that it was his ball over the top that helped Barcelona win the first penalty. He is a genius at 22 and it is scary to see where his progression can take him.