FC Barcelona followed up their sensational Champions League comeback with a crushing 7-1 home win over a completely overwhelmed Valencia in the league on Sunday evening.
FC Barcelona have had a spectacular week, which will probably still be talked about after the 2024/25 season. The sensational comeback in the Champions League, a 5-4 away win at Benfica Lisbon, was followed by head coach Hansi Flick’s team’s 7-1 home win against Valencia – the Blaugrana were already leading 5-0 at half-time.
After the exertions of the Champions League, Flick initially allowed top scorer Lewandowski, of all people, a break. However, his colleagues did not let up – and were already leading 3-0 after 14 minutes. Valencia presented themselves as second-rate defensively, with captain de Jong scoring for the first time in the third minute.
Five minutes later, Valencia’s youth product Ferran Torres, who made the assist on Balde’s cross to make it 2-0. The third goal was scored by Raphinha, who has been outstanding this season, who rounded Mamardashvili and shot with his weaker right (14th minute).
The Catalans remain hungry – Valencia unlucky with penalties
Anyone who might have thought that Barcelona would now back off was proven wrong: Cubarsi’s long ball reached Fermin, who scored clinically (24′). Ferran Torres and Balde missed further chances to extend the lead (27′, 32′) before Fermin made it 5-0 (45’+4) after Raphinha’s shot hit the upright.
Typical for Valencia’s evening: First, André Almeida was denied a penalty (22nd), then Hugo Duro’s was collected by the VAR for a previous foul on Kounde (33rd).
After the break, Ferran Torres had the 6-0 on the foot, but shot over the crossbar (54). The now significantly improved Valencia were rewarded in the person of Hugo Duro before the hour mark (59).
Lewandowski “answers” Mbappé
Flick brought Lewandowski on immediately after the 1-5, who really wanted to respond to Mbappé’s hat-trick (now 15 La Liga goals) on Saturday. The Pole succeeded: after an assist from Fermin, “Lewy” scored on the left next to the post and now has 17 La Liga goals (66′).
Fifteen minutes before time, Valencia also scored an own goal, as Ferran Torres thundered the ball from the baseline into the middle, where Tarrega steered it into his own goal – 1-7. If Barcelona hadn’t slowed down after the break, it would have been double digits.
But the home side left it at that with the six-goal difference, probably also knowing that the much more demanding task of Atalanta Bergamo awaits them in the Champions League on Wednesday – even though they have already secured a place in the last 16. Valencia will have to lick their wounds quickly, as the next “final” against Celta Vigo is coming up on Sunday (4:15 p.m.).
