The most choral Barça, with the best version of the extremes Raphinha and Dembéle – with one and two assists, respectively – and the Polish Robert Lewandowski, author of two goals, crushed (4-0) yesterday at the Spotify Camp Nou a superior Real Valladolid Xavi Hernández’s team began their particular marathon of six games in twenty days with a placid victory – the second in a row – against a newly promoted team that is still without a win after three days.
The registered Jules Koundé was the protagonist in the preview with his first title, playing as a winger, but on the pitch it was the Brazilian Raphinha who shone the most in the first half. The former Leeds player was a nightmare for Escudero on the right wing. With Valladolid blocking the inside lanes, Xavi looked for the imbalance in the ends, which generated the best chances. That Barça exploited the wings is evidenced by the 10 corners they forced in the first half. Pacheta’s team was trying to get as much water out of the pond as it was having a hard time keeping the ball. .
Xavi’s men only needed to finish off the danger that came from the sides. Neither Dembéle nor Raphinha nor Lewandowski, this one in a header spit off the post that bounced off Masip and that didn’t go in for a breath, concretized Blaugrana’s superiority.
The reward for the home side’s insistence came in the 24th minute. The ubiquitous ‘Raphinha’ gifted a sweet curling cross to Lewandowski, who pushed the ball into the net with the sole of his right foot. The Pole, along with the Brazilian, was one of the most outstanding in the complete first half for Blaugrana. The Blaugrana star shone both as a goalscorer and as a generator of play in the three-quarters area.
After the first goal, Dembélé, who smashed a ball into the crossbar, was positioned on the right and starred in the play that originated the second, the work of Pedri. The Frenchman got rid of the marking of a punished Escudero and assisted the canary, who finished from the penalty spot to pleasure.
Barça’s perfect first half ended in desperation. Eric García had to clear a ball hanging in the Valladolid area in added time before Anuar could connect with it. At the restart, Pacheta’s changes did not manage to raise their voice in front of the Blaugrana monologue, which lowered the football production by the sides a bit, and gave more prominence to the core.
However, Barcelona suffocated the opponent’s ball exit looking for the sentence. Eric García had it in a corner kick that ended the saga before the penalty goal, the work of Lewandowski. He threw Dembélé off balance, leaked a ball into space for the former Bayern striker, who invented a back-heel that lightly touched Joaquín Sánchez and ended up in the net (3-0, min.64).
With 3-0, Valladolid advanced lines and Anuar was about to cut distances. Afterwards, Lewandowski completed the hat-trick with a free kick that hit the crossbar in which the ball was caught by Sergi Roberto to close the scoring in added time.
