Fermín López – Foto: Barcelona
Barcelona thrashed Olympiacos 6-1 in the opening of the third round of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. The match, played at an alternative home venue, saw the Catalan side dominate from the start, with goals from Fermín López, Alejandro Balde, and other stars. The victory solidifies Barcelona’s recovery after recent stumbles in the competition.
Olympiacos, reduced to 10 players after Balde’s red card, scored through Ayoub El Kaabi from a penalty but could not avoid defeat. The game highlighted Barcelona’s offensive efficiency, netting five goals in the second half.
Other results included historic thrashings, such as PSG’s 7-2 over Leverkusen and Arsenal’s 4-0 against Atlético Madrid.
- Key highlights: López’s hat-trick, Rashford’s brace for Barcelona.
- PSG: Dembélé and Doué
- Arsenal: Gabriel and Martinelli opened the scoring.
Barcelona dominates Olympiacos with López’s masterclass
Barcelona opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Fermín López finished a precise cross from Pedri. The team kept the pressure and doubled the lead in the 23rd with Alejandro Balde heading in a corner. Late in the first half, López scored again in the 39th, assisted by Pablo Fernández.
Balde’s red card for an elbow changed the pace, but Barcelona didn’t slow down. In the second half, Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in the 68th, followed by Marcus Rashford’s goal in the 74th after a combination with Balde. López completed his hat-trick in the 76th, assisted by Roony Bardghji, and Rashford sealed the score in the 79th, assisted by Pedri.
Olympiacos responded with El Kaabi’s penalty in the 54th, but Barcelona controlled the game. Substitutions like Bardghji and Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, brought freshness to the attack.
Arsenal imposes 4-0 on Atlético in London
Gabriel opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 57th minute, finishing a rebound after Declan Rice’s assist. The Brazilian defender capitalized on a mistake in the opposing defense to head firmly. In the 64th, Gabriel Martinelli extended the lead with a cross from Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left.
Atlético Madrid, with Martín Zubimendi suspended for a grab in the first half, struggled with cards: José María Giménez was sent off in the 33rd for a trip. Substitutions like Conor Gallagher for Koke didn’t change the English dominance.
Viktor Gyökeres, from Sporting, scored twice for Arsenal in the 67th and 70th, the first assisted by Eberechi Eze and the second after Gabriel’s error. The match ended with red cards for Eberechi Eze and Sergio Camello, but the Gunners held the advantage.
PSG overwhelms Leverkusen in a French gala night
Willian Pacho scored PSG’s first goal in the 7th minute from a free kick by Nuno Mendes. Leverkusen equalized in the 38th with Álex García from a penalty after Illia Zabarnyi’s handball. Désiré Doué put the Parisians back in front in the 41st, assisted by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Kvaratskhelia extended the lead in the 44th on a quick counterattack. In the second half, Doué scored the fourth in the 45+3rd, assisted by Achraf Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes the fifth in the 50th, assisted by Vitinha. Ousmane Dembélé sealed it with two goals: in the 66th, combining with Bradley Barcola, and in the 76th, solo.
Leverkusen pulled one back in the 54th with García, assisted by Alejandro Grimaldo, but struggled with red cards to Robert Andrich and Edmond Tapsoba. Substitutions like Lee Kang-in for Kvaratskhelia kept the French pace.
PSV overturns Napoli to secure 6-2 victory
Napoli took the lead in the 31st minute with Scott McTominay finishing a cross from Leonardo Spinazzola. PSV equalized in the 35th with an own goal by Alessandro Buongiorno after Joey Veerman’s shot. Ismael Saibari turned it around in the 38th, assisted by Malik Til.
In the second half, Johan Bakayoko scored in the 54th, assisted by Mauro Júnior. Cody Gakpo extended the lead in the 80th, assisted by Veerman. McTominay pulled one back in the 86th, but Ricardo Pepi scored the fifth in the 87th, assisted by Malik Driouech. Driouech closed the score in the 89th after a combination with Pepi.
Red cards to Yannick Gasiorowski and Spinazzola hurt Napoli. Substitutions like Matteo Politano for David Neres had no effect.
PSV exploited Italian defensive errors, with 58% possession.
Inter controls Union SG and wins 4-0
Denzel Dumfries opened the scoring in the 41st minute, heading in Yann Bisseck’s assist. Lautaro Martínez extended the lead in the 45+1st, assisted by Francesco Pio Esposito. In the second half, Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted a penalty in the 53rd after a foul on Esposito.
Francesco Pio Esposito sealed it in the 76th, assisted by Alessio Zerbin. Union SG, playing at Lotto Park, had chances but was stopped by Inter’s defense. Substitutions like Federico Dimarco for Alessandro Bastoni strengthened the midfield.
The match saw cards for Stefan de Vrij and Alessio Zerbin. Inter maintained the pace with 62% possession.
Union SG pressed late but without success.
Decisive penalty moments
Penalties defined games this round. For Barcelona, Lamine Yamal converted in the 68th against Olympiacos after Daniel Podence’s foul. PSG missed one in the 25th with Grimaldo, but Ayoub El Kaabi scored for Olympiacos in the 54th.
For Arsenal, no penalties, but fouls led to cards. Leverkusen equalized with Álex García in the 38th after a handball. Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored Inter’s third in the 53rd. These moments showed the stars’ precision.
- Yamal (Barcelona): Goal in the 68th minute.
- El Kaabi (Olympiacos): Pulled one back in the 54th.
- Çalhanoğlu (Inter): Third goal in the 53rd.
Stars in focus: López and Dembélé shine
Fermín López made history with a hat-trick for Barcelona: goals in the 7th, 39th, and 76th minutes. The 22-year-old Spanish midfielder surpassed recent teammates’ marks in the Champions League.
Ousmane Dembélé, from PSG, scored twice against Leverkusen in the 66th and 76th, with quick plays. The Frenchman dismantled the German defense with speed. Viktor Gyökeres, on loan to Arsenal, scored twice in the 67th and 70th.
These performances highlight young talents’ importance. López has four goals in the European season. Dembélé, five assists.
General round statistics
The third round recorded 27 goals across five analyzed games, averaging 5.4 per match. Barcelona had 18 shots on goal, against Olympiacos’ 8.
PSG dominated with 68% possession against Leverkusen. Arsenal took 14 shots, with 28% efficiency. PSV recovered 12 balls in midfield.
- Total goals: 27 in five matches.
- Average possession of winners: 60%.
- Red cards: 8 issued.
These numbers indicate offensive balance, with exposed defenses.
Injuries and suspensions impact teams
Alejandro Balde, from Barcelona, was sent off in the 23rd minute for an elbow, missing the next game. For Atlético, José María Giménez was sent off in the 33rd for a trip.
For Leverkusen, Robert Andrich received a red card in the 31st for an elbow. Napoli lost Leonardo Spinazzola in the 42nd. These absences will impact upcoming rounds.
Forced substitutions, like Pedri for Bernal in Barcelona, occurred in the 80th. Teams managed squads to avoid further issues.
