Barcelona won their third consecutive league game and will finish matchday four in the top eight of the Champions League standings for the first time this season, thanks to a comfortable 5-2 away win at Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade on Wednesday evening. Barça played a mature game to cope with one of the toughest atmospheres in world football and take three more points in Europe, and Hansi Flick's side have now won seven games in a row in all competitions.

FIRST HALF

Barça got off to a good start, dominating the ball and creating early chances with good passes and movement. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed several early chances and Iñigo Martínez missed the equalizer Blaugrana After 13 minutes, the visitors took the lead with a header from a free kick.

Red Star responded well from going behind and used the crowd's energy to drive them forward in search of an equalizer. They struggled to find a way to overcome Barça's offside trap, but Silas eventually stayed onside and lobbed Iñaki Peña to equalize and send the ball over just after the half-hour mark Marakana in a frenzy.

The hosts dropped back and tried to avoid conceding a second goal before the end of the half while Barça continued to perform well, but it seemed as if the visitors would not find the goal again until the 43rd minute when Raphinha fired a rocket against the hosts fired and Robert Lewandowski was quickest on the rebound, scoring a simple pass to put the away team back in the lead.

The half-time whistle ended an entertaining period dominated by Barça, but Red Star were still very much alive and the second half promised to be quite entertaining.

SECOND HALF

Barça got off to an even better start in the final stages, with a faster passing pace and more intensity without the ball, and this good work was enough to seal the victory: two perfectly executed attacks down the right wing ended with two assists from Jules Kounde, the first for another effort from Lewandowski and the second for Raphinha, who scored a wonderful goal to make it 4-1 just before the hour.

Then came a moment of shock for Barça when Pau Cubarsí was kicked in the head by Red Star captain Uros Spajic and his team-mates looked pretty desperate for a moment, but the young centre-back was able to escape on his own when he was substituted by Sergi Domínguez, about 20 minutes before the end.

The Blaugrana had secured the win and looked to stay solid defensively and perhaps score more goals on the counter, while the hosts had more possession and tried to find a second to spark an unlikely comeback. They were unable to create any chances and instead conceded a fifth goal when Kounde completed his assists hat-trick by finding Fermín López in the box for a fine finish, quadrupling Barça's lead.

Red Star equalized 10 minutes from time thanks to a great curling effort from Felicio Milson, but that was all the hosts managed in the final seconds as the final whistle came, confirming Barça's victory by a three-goal margin.

This was a solid, mature performance to handle the hostile atmosphere and take victory on the road. Barça stepped up their game when they needed to and the fact that they are now able to manage and win games without having to play at 100% intensity for 90 minutes is a good development as Flick's side further developed.

Well done, guys!

Crvena Zvezda: Ilic; Seol, Djiga, Spajic, Rodic (Milson 59'); Kanga (Gomes 72'); Silas (Katai 83'), Krunic, Elsnik, Maksimovic (Ilic 72'); Ndiaye (Prutsev 83')

Goals: Silas (27'), Milson (83')

Barcelona: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsí (Domínguez 67'), Iñigo, Martín; De Jong (Gavi 68'), Casadó; Yamal, Pedri (Olmo 58'), Raphinha (Fermín 58'); Lewandowski (Víctor 78')

Goals: Iñigo (13th), Lewandowski (43rd, 53rd), Raphinha (55th), Fermín (76th)