Fermín López scored a brilliant hat-trick while Marcus Rashford netted twice as Barcelona crushed Olympiacos 6–1 on Tuesday to reignite their Champions League campaign.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal was also on the scoresheet for Hansi Flick’s side, who bounced back emphatically from their previous group-stage defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite missing key players such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, injury-hit Barça made light work of the Greek champions, who were reduced to 10 men early in the second half. The result lifts the Catalan giants to third place in the group ahead of this weekend’s much-anticipated El Clásico against Real Madrid.
Barcelona had a nervous start in Athens, nearly falling behind after Alejandro Balde’s error allowed Daniel Podence a chance, but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was alert to keep the scores level.
Balde quickly atoned with a driving run that led to the opener. After feeding López, the midfielder slipped in Yamal, whose effort was blocked by Olympiacos keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis—but López followed up to bundle home the rebound.
Barça controlled possession and created chances, with Rashford firing narrowly over from a Balde–Drog Fernandez combination on the left.
López doubled Barça’s lead in the 39th minute after being played through by 17-year-old Dro, who impressed on his Champions League debut. López nearly completed his hat-trick early in the second half, forcing a smart save from Tzolakis with a powerful header.
Olympiacos briefly threatened a comeback when Ayoub El Kaabi scored from the penalty spot after Eric García handled inside the area. The Moroccan striker had earlier seen a header ruled out for offside.
However, their momentum was short-lived as Santiago Hezze received a controversial second yellow card for a challenge on Marc Casado, reducing the visitors to 10 men.
The numerical advantage opened the floodgates. Rashford won a penalty and Yamal calmly converted from the spot in the 68th minute to make it 3–1.
Rashford, in fine form during his loan spell from Manchester United, struck twice in six minutes—both times finishing clinically at the near post—to take his Champions League tally to four goals this season.
López completed his hat-trick in between Rashford’s goals, rounding off a commanding individual performance in midfield as Barcelona ran riot in the closing stages.
The dominant win offers a confidence boost for Flick’s side, who now turn their attention to Sunday’s La Liga showdown against fierce rivals Real Madrid.
