"Barcelona's first-half performance against Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League was not one that the team would like to remember, for they struggled against the Czech-based side and even conceded two goals from corners. The hosts opened the scoring in just the tenth minute of the game, but Fermin Lopez then stepped up with a brace to hand Barcelona the lead with a comeback. Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Slavia Prague 2-4 Barcelona."
"At a time when the local Czech league has been suspended for over a month and a half owing to adverse conditions and severe cold, the UEFA Champions League handed Barcelona no respite. The Catalans' travel to Prague is perhaps the most adverse conditions they will face on the field all season, and it is clear that the weather had a major role to play in how they performed. At the time of kickoff, the local temperature in Prague was already sub-zero, and it only got colder as the night progressed, putting Barcelona to a massive test not only in terms of their sporting level but also their physical endurance."
"As the home team who have played and grown acclimatised to the conditions for years, the hosts undoubtedly had an advantage over Barcelona and moved much quicker, made fewer mistakes and even created the better chances in the first half. It took Barcelona a complete 45 minutes to find their way back, and their initial sloppy and slow movements improved after the break. The conditions, needless to say, played their part."
Barcelona struggled in the first half, conceding twice from corners and allowing Slavia Prague to take an early lead in the tenth minute. Fermin Lopez scored a brace to put Barcelona ahead, but Slavia levelled less than two minutes later. The match turned in the second half when substitute Dani Olmo scored a long-range screamer and Robert Lewandowski added a finishing goal to secure all three points. Sub-zero temperatures and a suspended local league gave the hosts an acclimatisation advantage, and Barcelona took 45 minutes to shake off sloppy, slow movements and defensive lapses.
Read at Barca Universal
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