Marcus Rashford scored twice and Fermin Lopez netted a brilliant hat-trick as Barcelona thumped Olympiacos 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. Hansi Flick's side blitzed their opposition with four goals in 11 second-half minutes, as they took advantage of a remarkably harsh sending off that reduced the visitors to 10 men.
Barca could have had the lead within five minutes, only for Rashford's volley from 10 yards to zip over the crossbar instead of nestling in the top corner. But they didn't have to wait long, as Fermin scored just two minutes later, lashing home after Lamine Yamal had slalomed his way into the box beyond multiple defenders and goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Fermin added a second before half-time, collecting a fine pass from teenager Dro Fernandez, before sitting down a defender and finishing coolly.
On 49 minutes, Olympiacos had a goal back, as striker Ayoub El Kaabi rose above Eric Garcia to score. However, the strike was ruled out for offside, with a penalty awarded instead due to a handball by Garcia in the build-up; fortunately for the visitors, El Kaabi stepped up and scored again.
Within six minutes, the Greek side were down to 10 men, as Santiago Hezze was shown a second yellow card for apparently brushing the face of Marc Casado in a decision that left the visitors rightly frustrated. That sense of injustice only deepened when Barca won a penalty after the hour, as Rashford was brought down by Tzolakis. A VAR review was required, and replays suggested that the Manchester United loanee bought the spot-kick, although Yamal had no qualms with putting it straight down the middle from 12 yards.
Rashford had time to add a fourth with a fine finish from inside the area, before Fermin completed his hat-trick in style with a thumping strike of a bouncing ball. Rashford added a sixth from range to put the cherry on the cake of an easy win ahead of Sunday's Clasico clash with Real Madrid.
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