Barça regained second place this Monday, but they did so suffering. The team led by Xavi beat Valencia 4-2 at the Lluis Companys in a match that had everything and in which the culés knew how to take advantage of the entire second half with numerical superiority. The goals from Fermín López and Lewandowski, author of a hat trick, gave the Catalans another victory and allowed the Blaugrana to travel to the Montilivi final ahead in the standings.
It was a dangerous night for Barcelona. It was because of the turbulent week with the continuity of Xavi, who monopolized all the spotlights, due to the lack of major objectives and also because of the weather. And on Montjuic mountain it was cold, rainy and one of those strong winds. It was all red notices for a team, the culé, who knew how to get involved in the game. Xavi repeated the structure of the last matches, but he did it with Fermín and Christensen instead of the injured Frenkie de Jong and the limping Pedri, and the formula worked. The ball was running and so were the two fittest players that Barça has at the moment. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have one more gear and between them they destabilized Valencia, which little by little retreated and found itself a goal down after Fermín López, a tireless goalkeeper, took advantage of a measured cross from the Brazilian winger.
Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Araujo, Kounde, Cubarsi (46th minute), Cancelo (Ferran Torres, 80th minute), Christensen (Sergi Roberto, 46th minute), Fermin (Pedri, 73rd minute), Gundogan and Lamine Yamal, Raphinha (Joao Felix, min. 66) and Lewandowski
4
–
2
Valencia
Mamardashvili, Correia, Mosquera, Yarek, Jesús Vázquez, Pepelu, Javi Guerra (Guillamón, min. 70), Almeida (Jaume Doménech, min. 45+5), Peter Federico (Ozkacar, min. 79), Diego López (Canós, min. 79) and Hugo Duro (Alberto Marí, min. 70).
Goals 1-0: min.22. Fermin Lopez. 1-1: min.27. Hugo Duro. 1-2: min.38. Pepelu, from a penalty. 2-2: min.49. Lewandowski. 3-2: min.82. Lewandowski. 4-2: min.90+3. Lewandowski.
Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoechea. He reprimanded Cubarsi and sent off Mamardashvili
Incidents Match played at the Lluis Companys in front of 30,167 spectators.
It was an idyllic situation for Barcelona, but the clouds did not stop. They have been there all season and they were not going to disappear the day Xavi appeared in society again. This is the Barça team, capable of the best and, as usual, also the worst. Ter Stegen gave Hugo Duro the equalizer on a long ball in which the German goalkeeper was overconfident and Ronald Araujo committed a clear penalty minutes later on Peter Federico, a nightmare in the first half. Pepelu converted the maximum penalty and punished a Barça that was in a state of shock once again. The match was a rollercoaster and before the break there would still be time for De Burgos Bengoechea to send off Mamardashvili for a handball when Lamine Yamal was already preparing to score the second Barça goal.
After the restart, Barça came out in a rush. Xavi introduced Iñigo Martínez and Sergi Roberto and his team got to work, pick and shovel, looking for a comeback. The culés settled in the opposite field and Valencia, with one less player, gave up meters to reduce space. Gündogan now had control of the match and the Blaugranas moved from side to side, looking for a gap. The occasion came in the most unexpected place, where forces are equal. Lewandowski’s head appeared on a corner kick to score the tie, blow up Baraja’s new plan and start a new game, the umpteenth in another night on the roller coaster for Barcelona.
From there came the bugle call. Barça desperately needed the three points to regain second place and gave everything they had. Xavi brought on Joao Félix and Pedri looking for more imaginative solutions in the last third of the pitch and the chances began to follow one after the other. Koundé, Araujo, Lewandowski and the Portuguese, who had just joined, ran into Jaume Domenech and Lluis Companys, who was surprisingly making the wave, vibrating with the barrage. The table was set, the goal was a matter of time and there was no one better for that mission than Lewandowski. The Pole has reached the final stretch of the course fine and he alone closed the match. He scored the third after a rebound in the area and completed his particular display with a direct free kick. Barça will arrive second at Montilivi and with their forward ready.
2024-04-29 21:22:14
#Lewandowski #puts #Barça #Montilivi
