Barcelona sent a strong statement to their La Liga rivals on Sunday night, dominating Valencia 7-1 at the Spotify Camp Nou. Five goals came in the first half.
Barcelona, coming off a dramatic UEFA Champions League win over Benfica earlier in the week, outdid themselves with a stunning performance against Los Che.
Frenkie de Jong opened the floodgates with his first home goal of the season, followed quickly by goals from Ferran Torres and Raphinha within the first 15 minutes.
Hansi Flick’s decision to reshuffle his lineup paid off, as De Jong and Torres justified their starting roles.
Rising star Fermin Lopez further underlined Barcelona’s depth, netting twice to give the hosts an emphatic 5-0 lead at halftime.
Despite Barcelona’s dominance, there was an early scare when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny conceded a penalty for the second consecutive game.
However, VAR overturned the decision due to an earlier foul, maintaining the hosts’ control.
Valencia fought for pride after the break, with Hugo Duro stabbing home a consolation goal on the hour mark.
But Barcelona weren’t finished. Robert Lewandowski came off the bench to add a sixth, and a Cesar Tarrega own goal completed the rout.
Despite the resounding victory, Barcelona remain third in La Liga, three points behind Atletico Madrid and seven adrift of leaders Real Madrid.
