Barcelona’s pursuit of a treble this season is gaining momentum after their Spanish Cup triumph over Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia. The 3–2 victory has renewed belief that the club can challenge for the Champions League, a title they last won during the famous MSN era when they beat Juventus 3–1 in Berlin on 6 June 2015.
However, Barcelona’s domestic form has been inconsistent. The side suffered a 2–1 defeat to Real Sociedad in La Liga and must now secure a win in their Champions League group to guarantee a top-eight finish.
On Wednesday, Barcelona travelled to Prague to face Slavia Praha in freezing conditions of -5°C. The game began in difficult circumstances for the visitors, as Slavia took an early lead. Barcelona responded quickly, and by half-time the score was level at 2–2 after Robert Lewandowski conceded an own goal.
The second half started with concern for Barcelona, as Pedri went down in pain following a foul and was substituted immediately. Dani Olmo took advantage of the situation by scoring, and Lewandowski later added a fourth to seal a 4–2 win for Barcelona, keeping their Champions League hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s season has been troubled from the start. The Reds drew against newly promoted Burnley earlier in the Premier League, underlining their poor form. They needed a strong Champions League performance to avoid slipping into the play-off spots.
Liverpool travelled to Marseille needing a win, and they delivered in convincing fashion. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a superb free-kick before an own goal from Rulli in the 72nd minute doubled the lead. Cody Gakpo then sealed the victory with a stoppage-time goal, as Liverpool ran out 3–0 winners. The result moves them up to fourth in the group with 15 points, keeping their qualification hopes intact.
Chelsea send mixed signals
Chelsea, meanwhile, have shown signs of recovery but remain inconsistent. After parting ways with coach Enzo Maresca and suffering a 3–2 defeat to Arsenal in the EFL Cup quarter-final, the Blues appointed Liam Rosenior as their new manager. Rosenior won his first Premier League game 2–0 against Brentford at Stamford Bridge, but the true test was in the Champions League.
In a tense clash against Paphos FC of Cyprus, Chelsea secured a 1–0 win thanks to a late goal from Moisés Caicedo in the 78th minute. The victory confirms their place in the top eight and keeps their European campaign alive.
Bayern Munich remain one of Europe’s most consistent sides this season. They hosted Union Saint-Gilloise at the Allianz Arena, where Harry Kane scored twice and narrowly missed a hat-trick after failing to convert a penalty. Bayern won 2–0 despite defender Kim receiving a red card, and the result moved them to second in their group with 18 points.
Newcastle also secured a comfortable 3–0 win over PSV at St James’ Park, with goals from Wissa, Gordon and Barnes. The victory sees the Magpies rise to seventh in their group with 13 points.
With just two weeks remaining before the final matchday, the last round of fixtures will determine which teams qualify directly for the knockout stage and which must face the play-offs to complete the last eight spots.