Barcelona have returned to winning, picking up their first points of the new League Phase format in this season’s UEFA Champions League thanks to a dominant 5-0 victory over Young Boys at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Spanish giant were the superior team from start to finish, wrapped up the victory by halftime, and cruised to a very comfortable win at home.
From the start, Barcelona had a great rhythm in their attacking phase, moving the ball quickly and alternating between short and long passes to find gaps between the lines.
Their early efforts were rewarded just eight minutes into the game, as a beautiful passing play down the right flank resulted in a Raphinha assist and an easy far-post tap-in for Robert Lewandowski.
After taking the lead, the hosts maintained comfortable control of the game, and their strong defensive line consistently forced Young Boys to give the ball away easily.
Barcelona kept firing shots at goal and hunting for a second, and they finally got it shortly after the half-hour mark: a short corner routine found Pedri inside the box, and when his shot was blocked, the ball fell perfectly to Raphinha, who slammed the rebound in.
Three minutes later, Pedri fired a free kick into the box from the right flank, which Iñigo Martínez headed home to triple Barça’s lead before the break.
Barcelona were definitely hungry for more, and Ferran Torres nearly added a fourth, but he missed a one-on-one with the keeper from close range.
Barça scored early in the second half, as Raphinha fired a corner into the box, Iñigo headed it towards goal, and Lewandowski tapped in for his second goal of the night, making it four for the hosts just five minutes in.
With the three points secured, the final 40 minutes were all about Barcelona’s ability to defend and enhance their goal difference, which is an important aspect of the new Champions League structure.
As we approached the hour mark, the Catalans continued to push and create more chances, and they were eager for goals.
At that point, Hansi Flick made his first two substitutions, with Héctor Fort and Ansu Fati replacing Pau Cubarsí and Pedri, and giving the Prince an opportunity to play serious minutes for the first time in the season.
Fati attempted to get engaged in the action early and frequently, but appeared rusty.
Young Boys had nothing to lose and started being more bold moving forward.
However, they squandered two enormous chances on the same play: Joël Monteiro hit the crossbar and Jaouen Hadjam had a likely goal saved off the line by Marc Casadó on the rebound.
Barcelona seized control of the contest, and with 15 minutes to go, De Jong replaced Lamine Yamal and earned a standing ovation from the Montjuïc fans.
Frenkie, like Fati, tried to get involved early and often but seemed a touch off the pace, but he wasn’t afraid to get rough and give and absorb a few strikes.
The game slowed down towards the end, but there was still time for a fifth goal with 10 minutes remaining.
Alejandro Balde’s low cross for Pau Víctor was diverted by Young Boys captain Mohamed Camara and went into the net, giving the crowd one more reason to celebrate.
Monteiro had a one-on-one opportunity with Iñaki Peña to score for Young Boys, but his shot was ruled out by the semi-automated offside system.
The final whistle gave Barçelona their first three points of the League Phase, and the five-goal triumph also boosted their goal difference, which will be important in the UCL’s new format.
