Barcelona stormed back to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League as Spanish midfielder Fermin Lopez netted a stunning hat-trick, while Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 6–1 demolition of Olympiacos on Tuesday night at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
The match was a showcase of attacking flair and youthful dominance, with Lamine Yamal also on target from the penalty spot — becoming, at 18 years and 100 days, the youngest player to reach 25 Champions League appearances.
Barcelona took early control when Lopez pounced in the seventh minute after Yamal’s shot was parried by goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. The 21-year-old doubled his tally with a composed left-footed strike into the far corner following a defense-splitting pass from Dro Fernandez.
Olympiacos thought they had pulled one back when Ayoub El Kaabi headed home early in the second half, but referee Urs Schnyder overturned the goal for offside after a VAR review — before awarding the visitors a penalty for Eric Garcia’s handball, which El Kaabi converted off the post.
Their hopes of a comeback vanished minutes later when Santiago Hezze was sent off for a second bookable offense after striking Lopez with his arm.
Barcelona capitalized quickly — Rashford won a penalty that Yamal coolly converted, before the English forward added two clinical finishes of his own, bringing his tally to four goals in three Champions League matches.
Lopez completed his hat-trick with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box, sealing a night of total dominance for Xavi’s side.
The Catalan giants now sit on six points from three games, having previously beaten Newcastle 2–1 and narrowly lost to Paris Saint-Germain by the same margin. Olympiacos, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with just one point.
With their attack firing on all cylinders, Barcelona have firmly reasserted themselves as one of Europe’s most dangerous sides — and Lopez’s breakout performance will undoubtedly be remembered as a statement of intent from both the player and his club.
