Super Eagles defender Igoh Ogbu remained on the bench for the entire match as Slavia Prague were beaten 4-2 by Barcelona on Matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League.
Slavia made a dream start and took the lead in the 10th minute from a corner. Tomáš Holeš flicked the ball on at the near post and Vasil Kušej reacted quickest at the back post to bundle it into the net, sparking hopes of a famous upset. The goal ended Slavia’s run of 527 minutes without scoring in the Champions League, their longest drought in the competition since 2019.
Barcelona responded with growing control and found the equaliser in the 34th minute. Raphinha played a clever flick to Frenkie de Jong, who slid a pass into the path of Fermín López. The midfielder squeezed his finish inside the near post to make it 1-1. Fermín struck again eight minutes later, cutting inside onto his right foot and curling a superb shot into the bottom corner to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead.
Slavia hit back almost immediately from another set piece. Chaloupek won the ball at the near post and his flick-on deflected off Robert Lewandowski into the net for an own goal, making it 2-2 just before half-time.
The visitors took control after the break. In the 63rd minute, Dani Olmo made an instant impact after picking up a loose clearance. He shifted the ball onto his right foot and smashed a stunning strike into the top corner, restoring Barcelona’s lead at 3-2. The game was effectively settled in the 71st minute when Lewandowski scored his 106th Champions League goal, finishing from close range after Marcus Rashford drilled a cross into the box.
Igoh Ogbu, who recently returned from AFCON 2025 duty, was an unused substitute and could not influence the outcome. Barcelona moved up to 10th in the Champions League table with 13 points, while Slavia Prague remain 34th with three points from seven matches, having drawn three and lost four.
Slavia’s struggles against Spanish sides continued, with only two wins from their last 16 European meetings. Barcelona, unbeaten in their last eight matches against Czech opposition, maintained their dominance despite having won only one of their previous five away Champions League games before this fixture.
