Barcelona 6 – 0 Valencia
With a stunning performance throughout the match, Hansi Flick’s team returned to winning ways by scoring 6 goals against Valencia.
Playing their first game since the international break, Barcelona produced a commanding display from start to finish. After opening the scoring with a fine finish, Fermín López added a breathtaking strike. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice after coming off the bench. Flick’s side ran riot, netting six goals past Valencia.
At the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium on Sunday night, the defending champions won the La Liga match 6-0 — five of those goals coming in the second half.
The dominance showed up in the stats as well: Barcelona had 72% possession, took 24 shots with 10 on target, while Valencia managed just two shots, only one of which was on target.
After winning their first two games in the title defense, Barcelona had drawn with Rayo Vallecano before the break. With 10 points from four matches, they sit second, behind Real Madrid on 12.
This was Barcelona’s first home match of the season after playing their opening three away. The game was originally set for Camp Nou, but ongoing renovations forced the Catalans to switch venues.
They were without key man Lamine Yamal due to injury. Dominating possession from the outset, Barça created their first big chance in the 10th minute when Ferran Torres went one-on-one with the keeper but saw his chip go narrowly over the bar.
Valencia’s keeper then denied López in the 15th minute, but in the 29th the Spanish midfielder broke the deadlock with a superb finish. Meeting a cross from a teammate, Torres cleverly flicked the ball into his path and López’s right-footed strike beat the keeper.
Despite sustained pressure, Barcelona couldn’t add another before halftime. They took 11 shots with three on target in the first half, while Valencia failed to muster a single attempt.
Early in the second half, Torres again missed a chance, hitting the post from Marcus Rashford’s pass. In the 53rd minute his shot was brilliantly saved.
Between the 53rd and 56th minutes, Barcelona scored twice to effectively seal the match.
Raphinha, who had come on at halftime, doubled the lead. Valencia’s defender failed to clear Rashford’s cross, unaware that Raphinha was lurking behind him — the Brazilian slid in from close range to score.
López’s second goal was a stunner. Taking a pass from Marc Casadó, he advanced slightly and unleashed a bullet left-footed strike from 25 yards to make it 3-0.
In the 66th minute Raphinha struck again, hammering in a half-volley after a teammate’s cross hit a Valencia defender’s arm.
Coach Flick then replaced Rashford and Torres with Dani Olmo and Lewandowski.
Ten minutes later Barcelona scored their fifth. Playing his 150th match for the club, Lewandowski quickly made his mark. Controlling Olmo’s pass inside the box, the Polish striker fired under the crossbar and into the net.
Raphinha had multiple chances to complete his hat-trick but couldn’t convert. With four minutes left in regulation, Lewandowski grabbed his second, finishing off a pass from Marc Bernal to beat the keeper.
It was the perfect preparation for Barcelona ahead of their Champions League campaign, which kicks off on Thursday away to Newcastle United.
