Barcelona took control early, with Robert Lewandowski putting them ahead from the penalty spot in the 9th minute. The Polish striker made no mistake, calmly dispatching the spot-kick after a Brest defender handled the ball in the area. Despite controlling possession and creating numerous chances, Barcelona couldn’t add to their tally in the first half, as Brest hung on, benefiting from several missed opportunities by the hosts.
The second half saw Barcelona continue to pile on the pressure, and they finally found their second goal in the 66th minute through Dani Olmo. The Spanish forward latched onto a perfectly timed pass and slotted home to double the lead. Lewandowski then sealed the win with a second goal in injury time, finishing coolly after a counter-attack to complete his brace and make it 3-0 with the final kick of the match.
Brest, who had been unbeaten in their first two Champions League games, failed to register a single shot on target throughout the entire match. In contrast, Barcelona fired off 19 shots, with eight on target, and enjoyed an overwhelming 76% possession. The statistics highlighted Barcelona's complete dominance, with their expected goals (xG) of 2.95 far outpacing Brest’s 0.10, a clear reflection of how one-sided the encounter was.
With this victory, Barcelona climbed to second place in their Champions League group, while Brest dropped to ninth. The result provided a much-needed boost for Xavi’s men as they look to secure top spot in the group, and they will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Brest will need to regroup quickly as they prepare for a challenging encounter with PSV, hoping to bounce back from this humbling defeat.
Overall, it was another dominant display from Barcelona, who continue to look in fine form as they aim to make a deep run in Europe this season.
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