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Barcelona dominated possession by 76 percent and produced 23 attempts, but spent almost the entire match chasing equalizers as a defensive nightmare sank the Catalans in Belgium. Hansi Flick’s men dropped points again, this time in a 3-3 draw against a promising Club Brugge side. It was a match where the Blaugrana could easily have returned home with a big win, but their recurring defensive woes haunted them from the opening whistle to the last minute. In fact, they could have lost the match 4-3 had Brugge’s stoppage-time goal not been ruled out. The home side started brightly, taking the lead in the 6th minute after creating a couple of early chances. On their third attempt, Carlos Forbs initiated a counter-attack and squared the ball to Nicolo Tresoldi in front of Barca’s box. The 21-year-old Italy-born German international slotted the ball under Wojciech Szczęsny to give Brugge the opening goal. However, the visitors wasted no time in responding, as Ferran Torres equalised just two minutes later. Fermín López carried the attack through the right channel and delivered a delicious low cross across the six-yard box. The Spanish forward made no mistake in connecting and finding the net. After the quick exchange of goals, Barca took complete control of the match and began to pile pressure on the Brugge defence. Fermín nearly put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute, but his long-range shot struck the outside of the left post and bounced away. Despite Barcelona’s dominance, it was the home team who struck again, capitalising on another counter-attack in the 17th minute. Barcelona’s defensive line was pushed too high, allowing Christos Tzolis to break from midfield on a solo run. The winger squared the ball to Forbs, who beat Szczęsny without facing any challenge to restore Brugge’s lead.

Barcelona entered the first El Clasico of the season having beaten their arch-rivals in all four meetings last season, but they fell apart at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, suffering a 2-1 defeat against a fired-up Real Madrid side. From the opening whistle, Real Madrid’s hunger for victory was evident. Xabi Alonso’s men played with high intensity and purpose, while Hansi Flick’s Barcelona lacked the drive and sharpness needed to challenge Madrid on their home turf. In truth, the visitors were fortunate to avoid a heavier defeat. Barcelona were also missing the guidance of their head coach, as Hansi Flick served a one-match suspension following a red card in their previous game. Their woes were compounded by injuries to key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Joan García. Madrid began the match on the front foot, pressing aggressively and creating early danger. They earned a penalty inside the opening five minutes, but it was denied after a VAR review. Moments later, Kylian Mbappé found the net with a stunning long-range strike in the 12th minute, but VAR again ruled the effort out for offside. Bayern break record, extend perfect run against 10-man Gladbach Despite the early setbacks, Real Madrid continued to dominate a disjointed Barcelona side. Their persistence paid off in the 22nd minute when Jude Bellingham split the defense with a precise through ball, allowing Mbappé to fire home a legitimate opener. Barcelona found a response in the 38th minute through Fermin, who capitalized on a superb build-up led by Marcus Rashford. However, Madrid restored their lead just five minutes later. Vinícius Jr. drove down the left flank and delivered a pinpoint cross, which Bellingham guided into the net from a clever pass by Éder Militão. Los Blancos went into halftime with a 2-1 advantage, and it could easily have been more. Barcelona struggled to cope with Madrid’s pressing. Barca’s young winger Lamine Yamal managed to touch the ball just once inside the opposition box during the first half. Early in the second half, Real Madrid were awarded another penalty after Eric García handled the ball with hand inside the box while attempting to block Bellingham. However, Wojciech Szczęsny denied Mbappé’s spot kick, keeping Barcelona in the competition. Sunderland stun Chelsea with stoppage time winner to go second in EPL Madrid thought they had extended their lead in the 68th minute when Bellingham finished off a swift counterattack, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Barcelona improved after the break, showing more energy and control in possession. Despite dominating the ball for long spells, they lacked pace and precision in the final third, failing to break through Madrid’s disciplined defense. So, Bellingham’s second goal remained the difference as Real Madrid fans left the stadium with a wide smile. With the win, Real Madrid moved five points clear at the top of the La Liga table, leading with 27 points from 10 matches. Barcelona remain second with 22 points.  

Barcelona returned to winning ways with a commanding 6–1 victory over Olympiacos, but their celebration was marred by a controversial red-card decision that drew frustration from players and fans alike. Fermín López led the Catalans with a hat-trick, Marcus Rashford added a brace, and teenager Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in the emphatic win. Missing key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi and goalkeeper Joan García, Hansi Flick handed a rare start to young striker Dro Fernández. The new-look Barça attack pressed high from the begining and grabbed an early lead through a combination of Yamal’s sharp run and Fermín’s precise finish. In the sixth minute, Yamal sliced through the Olympiacos defence from the right flank and sent a low ball into the box, where Fermín fired home through a crowded defence. Rashford nearly doubled the lead with a free kick from just outside the box in the 11th minute, missing by inches.

FC Barcelona fans have received frustrating news regarding two of their young stars, Gavi and Fermin Lopez. Gavi is scheduled for surgery on his right knee, while Fermin Lopez will be out for around three weeks with a muscle injury. Gavi to undergo knee surgery Gavi has been dealing with persistent knee pain that caused him to miss Barcelona’s recent matches against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Newcastle United, and Getafe. After pulling out of the Spain national team and seeing no improvement, manager Hansi Flick pushed for an immediate resolution to the case. A more detailed examination revealed a meniscus issue in his right knee. On Monday, the club decided that the best course of action was an arthroscopic examination, particularly because it involves the same knee that was previously operated on. In an official statement, Barcelona announced, “Gavi underwent intense sporting stress tests after finishing his conservation course of treatment for the radial injury to the internal meniscus in his right knee. "The conclusion is that in order to guarantee the best possible recovery and return to competitive action, this Tuesday the player will undergo an arthroscopic examination.” Surgeon Joan Carles Monllau, who previously operated on Gavi’s serious cruciate ligament injury in the same leg, will perform the procedure again under the supervision of the club’s medical staff. According to Diario AS, the midfielder is expected to be sidelined for five to six weeks. This timeline means Gavi will likely target a return in November. He is expected to miss at least seven Barcelona matches, including the El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26th. Playing in a high-stakes match of that magnitude so soon after surgery is unlikely. Fermin out for three weeks Barcelona also confirmed Fermin Lopez’s injury on the same day. He was substituted in the 60th minute of Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Getafe due to a muscle injury. According to the club’s medical report, Fermin Lopez has an iliopsoas muscle injury in his left leg and will be out of action for approximately three weeks. This setback will likely cause him to miss matches against Real Oviedo, Real Sociedad, PSG, and Sevilla. His name is also unlikely to appear on Luis de la Fuente’s squad list for the Spain national team’s matches against Georgia and Bulgaria in October. Due to their injuries, both players will miss key upcoming matches. Gavi is expected to miss fixtures against Real Oviedo, Real Sociedad, Paris Saint-Germain, and Sevilla before the international break. Before El Clásico, Barcelona will face Girona in La Liga and Olympiakos in the Champions League. After the Clásico, the club will host Elche, a game in which the 21-year-old’s availability is also uncertain.

Barcelona picked up where they left off last season against Valencia, securing another dominant victory in their first home game at the six-thousand-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium. Braces from young Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and veteran striker Robert Lewandowski provided a significant morale boost ahead of their first Champions League match away at Newcastle on Thursday. The Catalan giants took the field on Sunday night trailing table-toppers Real Madrid by five points after their Saturday night victory over Real Sociedad. However, they eased past the visitors with a dominant 6-0 victory. Despite the pressure and a list of key injuries—including to Lamine Yamal, Frenkie De Jong, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde—coach Hansi Flick rested regular starters like Raphinha and Lewandowski, giving opportunities to Roony Bardghji, Marcus Rashford, and Ferran Torres, who led the attack. Yet they eased past the opposition with a commanding performance. Barcelona's relentless pressure left Valencia’s defense in disarray from the start. They created their first major chance in the 10th minute when Ferran Torres narrowly chipped the ball over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Valencia's goalkeeper denied a shot from Lopez. Read more: Mbappe stars as 10-man Real Madrid secure hard-fought victory over Sociedad The breakthrough came in the 29th minute as Fermin opened the scoring with a clinical finish inside the box. Torres set him up perfectly with a first-time touch on a teammate’s cross, and the Spanish midfielder slotted past the keeper with a precise right-footed strike. That was the only goal of the first half, but it set the stage for a second-half onslaught. Barcelona found more rhythm in their attack with the halftime substitution of Raphinha. Replacing Roony on the right flank, the Brazilian's presence was immediately felt, as he netted the team’s second goal just eight minutes into the restart. Three minutes later, Fermin scored his second with a spectacular shot from outside the box.