Barcelona thrashed Valencia 6-0 in a one-sided affair at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. The victory, propelled by a hat-trick of braces from Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, moved the Catalan giants to second in La Liga with 10 points. They now trail league leaders Real Madrid by just two points, as their rivals maintain a perfect record of four wins from four matches.
Playing in front of just 6,000 fans, a stark contrast to their usual home crowds, Barcelona made light of the smaller venue. The team was forced to play at their B team's stadium due to ongoing renovations at Camp Nou and a damaged pitch at their temporary home, Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. Coach Hansi Flick made several changes to his starting lineup following the international break, but the team's performance showed no signs of being unsettled.
Fermin Lopez opened the scoring in the 29th minute, capitalizing on an assist from Ferran Torres. However, it was after the halftime break that Barcelona truly unleashed its offensive fury. Substitute Raphinha made an immediate impact, scoring in the 58th minute from a brilliant cross by Marcus Rashford. Lopez quickly followed up with his second goal just three minutes later, and Raphinha completed his brace in the 66th minute, putting the game well out of reach for Valencia.
The goal-scoring spree continued with the introduction of Robert Lewandowski in the 68th minute. The Polish striker wasted no time in making his mark, adding two close-range strikes to complete the rout. One of Lewandowski's goals was initially ruled offside but was later awarded after a VAR review, cementing a perfect afternoon for Barcelona. The victory allowed Barcelona to bounce back in style after a disappointing draw with Rayo Vallecano the previous week.
After the match, coach Hansi Flick expressed his delight with the team's performance. "From the outset, we demonstrated what we wanted to achieve, and that is what we have witnessed," he told reporters. "Not only Fermin Lopez, who had a great game, but everyone has fought hard and enjoyed themselves on the pitch. The team has been outstanding in every position. The three points are perfect, and for me, it is wonderful to have to choose between so many great players." Valencia, meanwhile, slumped to 15th position with just four points.
