Slavia Praha vs Barcelona: European Night Showdown

Fermín López stars as Barcelona avoid banana skin on wintery night in Prague.

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona never fail to make for an entertaining game, and Wednesday’s contest was no different.

On a cold night in Prague, Barcelona, in a must-win match to essentially secure automatic qualification for the round of 16, did not get off to the best start. Already missing star man Lamine Yamal due to suspension, they did not do themselves any favours by conceding from a set-piece corner at the 10-minute mark at the hands of Slavia Praha attacker Vasil Kušej.

Slavia Prague made it a tougher contest than many may have thought. Especially in the first half, it would not be crazy to say they played better than Barcelona. Slavia’s press in midfield did not allow Barcelona to build up as they usually would, which caused major problems, as Prague definitely got the better of the Blaugrana early doors.

Constantly losing possession, Barcelona looked lethargic. It took around 30 minutes before we began to see their usual patterns of play executed, as they started to get to grips with the occasion. Far away from the Catalonian sunshine, and in a must-win game, they began to play beyond the press.

After a poor start, they did manage to get into the groove of things, as Barça broke the deadlock in the 34th minute through a Fermín López equaliser. It was a beautiful build-up, however the finish from a tight angle bounced off goalkeeper Staněk, who will know he should have done better after being beaten at his near post.

Barcelona now looked more like their usual selves, and they struck again in the 42nd minute, courtesy of Fermín López once more. This time there was nothing Staněk could have done, as the young attacking midfielder was given time and space to get his shot off from outside the box, and what a shot it was. He elegantly curled it into the side netting from long range. Known for his ball-striking ability, Praha players will be disappointed with the amount of time he was allowed on the ball in such a dangerous position.

Barcelona were now looking a lot more comfortable, but this did not last, as Praha provided an instant response, once again from a set-piece corner. This time it came from an unlikely source, a Robert Lewandowski own goal. Barça defenders were visibly disappointed with how cheaply they had conceded, and it was level pegging again just on the stroke of half-time. Four goals in the first half, as both sides went into the break with two goals each.

The second half was much more what people would have expected, as Barcelona really started to take control. For Barcelona fans and Hansi Flick, who was visibly unhappy on the touchline, it was a scary sight as Pedri went down clutching his hamstring and had to be substituted for Dani Olmo. A big loss for Barcelona, but the show had to go on, and it did. Olmo produced a magnificent finish with his first attacking involvement in the game. Instant impact. Barely off the bench, he wrapped the ball into the top corner, leaving Staněk with no answer. With 63 minutes gone and five goals scored, Barça had restored their lead.

The substitution of Marcus Rashford also made a significant impact. His assist for Robert Lewandowski’s goal, Barcelona’s fourth, gave them some breathing space with 20 minutes to play, as the score stood at 4-2. It would finish that way.

A few points to take away: Barcelona still look extremely vulnerable defensively, and if the attack and midfield are misfiring, they are there for the taking, as we have seen throughout this Champions League campaign.

They will be missing their main man, as Pedri is the nucleus of this team under Hansi Flick. He will be greatly missed, and the players around him will have to step up to higher levels if Barcelona want to continue to challenge on all three fronts.

Speaking of others stepping up, Frenkie de Jong deserves praise for his performance. Fermín López will rightly get the spotlight, but the Dutch midfielder really lifted the intensity, progressing the ball throughout the game, even more so after his midfield pivot partner Pedri went off injured. His ball-carrying power and prowess were standout features of his display against Praha, in a similar fashion to how we see Declan Rice carry the ball forward for Arsenal. Barcelona and Hansi Flick will need more of this from Frenkie after the big injury blow in midfield.

This result takes Barcelona to ninth spot in the Champions League table, one place away from automatic qualification to the next round. That is what they will have their sights set on when they play their final game against Copenhagen on the 28th of January at the Nou Camp, although they will need other results out of their control to go in their favour. They currently sit on 13 points, the same total as the other seven teams placed from sixth to 13th.

This result means Slavia Praha sit in 34th position, two above the bottom, on three points. Their final game is also on the 28th of January, as the reigning Czech champions face the reigning Greek champions Pafos to bring their Champions League campaign for the 2025/2026 season to a close.