Barcelona 4-2 Valencia: Robert Lewandowski treble guides Xavi's side past 10-man visitors in La Liga
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByOli Gent
Updated 29/04/2024 at 21:26 GMT
Robert Lewandowski bagged a hat-trick as Barcelona finally wore down 10-man Valencia to claim a 4-2 win. It looked like the match was heading for a draw, despite visiting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili seeing red in first-half injury time, until Lewandowski stepped up with his second and third goals late on. Barca return to second in La Liga, 11 points behind runaway leaders Real Madrid.
Robert Lewandowski
Image credit: Getty Images
Robert Lewandowski scored his first Liga hat-trick as Barcelona leapfrogged Girona into second with a 4-2 comeback win over 10-man Valencia in Montjuic.
Fermin Lopez’s towering header opened the scoring on 22 minutes, before Hugo Duro responded within five minutes for Valencia as he seized upon a careless mistake from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who tried to nonchalantly dink the ball over the onrushing striker’s head.
Pepelu put Valencia ahead on 38 minutes from the spot after Ronald Araujo chopped down Peter Gonzalez in the box.
Ruben Baraja’s visitors played the entire second half with deputy goalkeeper Jaume Domenech between the sticks after first-choice shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili was dismissed for handling outside his area after he sloppily controlled Yarek Gasiorowski’s backpass.
Lewandowski’s near-post header had Xavi’s hosts level four minutes into the second half, and the Polish talisman was at it once more with another header from a set play to notch the home side back in front with eight minutes remaining.
Valencia struggled to deal with Ilkay Gundogan’s inswinger, with the ball ricocheting off the head of Araujo, and into the path of Lewandowski, who guided it into the unguarded net.
The former Bayern Munich striker was not done there as, deep into stoppage time, he curled a sumptuous free-kick into the top corner to score his third and Barca’s fourth.
Barca travel to third-placed Girona this weekend as both battle it out for the final Supercopa place.
Talking point - Can you win anything with kids?
While La Masia continues to churn out young gems that break into Barca’s first XI at the tender ages of 16 and 17, it still took a 35-year-old’s hat-trick to fire them to this win.
Xavi started 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi at centre-back ahead of experienced heads such as Inigo Martinez, Marcos Alonso, and Oriol Romeu, with natural central defender Andreas Christensen moved into holding midfield in the absence of the injured Frenkie de Jong.
However, the Barca manager, who recently announced his resignation U-turn last week, decided that experience was what he needed, bringing on the cool head of Martinez at half time to replace Cubarsi, and Sergi Roberto, the 32-year-old, was brought on to steady the ship in the middle of the park.
The Catalans’ shoestring budget means that these kids might be all that they’ve got to take on the riches of Real Madrid in the coming years, but they cannot neglect the need for proven nous when the going gets tough, as it did in the first half here.
Player of the match - Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona
You can’t not after a match-winning hat-trick, and yet another masterclass in penalty-box poaching.
The Pole defied his years once more to demonstrate how he is one of the best in the business in front of goal, and without him, Barca would have lost this match.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/04/29/3958121-80376128-2560-1440.jpg)
Barcelona's Polish forward #09 Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on April 29, 202
Image credit: Getty Images
Player ratings
Barcelona: ter Stegen 5, Kounde 6, Araujo 5, Cubarsi 5, Cancelo 6, Gundogan 6, Christensen 5, Fermin 8, Yamal 6, Lewandowski 8, Raphinha 6. Subs: Roberto 6, Martinez 6, Felix 6, Pedri 6, Torres 6.
Valencia: Mamardashvili 5, Correira 7, Mosquera 7, Gasiorowski 6, Vazquez 5, Lopez 5, Pepelu 6, Guerra 7, Gonzalez 6, Almeida 5, Duro 7. Subs: Domenech 6, Mari 6, Guillamon 6, Canos 6, Ozkacar 6.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/04/29/3958113-80375968-2560-1440.jpg)
Joao Cancelo y Diego López en el Barcelona-Valencia
Image credit: Getty Images
Match highlights
22': GOAL! BARCELONA 1-0 VALENCIA (FERMIN) It's there, and Barcelona take the lead! They punish Rodriguez almost immediately, as the venture down the left through Cancelo. He knocks it back to Raphinha, who whips in a delicious delivery with pace, and Fermin crashes the box to nod home into the far corner!
27': GOAL! BARCELONA 1-1 VALENCIA (DURO) Wow! What a mistake from ter Stegen! It's 1-1, and Valencia are level. Hugo Duro notches his 13th of the season, and it all stemmed from a long ball from Correia. Duro touched it down to Gonzalez, who played it forward once more with the Spaniard kept onside by Kounde. The German 'keeper tries to sweep up and dink it over the onrushing Duro's head nonchanently, but it falls kindly for the striker, who slots into the unguarded net.
38': PENALTY! Once again, it's chaos at the back for Barca, as another long ball exposes the hosts. Duro wins the flick on as Araujo is caught up the field, and desperately trying to recover, his desperate lunge on Peter Rodriguez hauls the winger down! // GOAL! BARCELONA 1-2 VALENCIA (PEPELU) Pepelu scores, and Valencia are in front - incredibly! He coolly passes it into the centre of the goal as ter Stegen dives to his left. 2-1!
45+3': HANDBALL, SURELY! Gasiorowski's back pass is controlled awfully by Mamardashvili, and Yamal seizes upon it! The goalkeeper, now out of his area, tries to halt him from slotting into an empty net, but has he used a hand? It looks like it! The ref is going to the screen... // RED CARD He's off! Marmadashvili is sent off for a deliberate handball outside his area, and Valencia will have to hold onto their slender advantage with ten men and a deputy goalkeeper.
49': GOAL! BARCELONA 2-2 VALENCIA (LEWANDOWSKI) Barca are level, and guess who? The corner is swung in and the Pole powers home from the near post beyond Domenech! There's discourse that Fermin is in an offside position in front of the goalkeeper...
82': GOAL! BARCELONA 3-2 VALENCIA (LEWANDOWSKI) It's there, and they're finally ahead once more! An inswinger from Gundogan isn't cleared, and it ricochets off the head of Araujo, and up kindly into the path of Lewandowski, who nods into the unguarded net. 3-2.
90+4: GOAL! BARCELONA 4-2 VALENCIA (LEWANDOWSKI) He's got the hat-trick, and it's up and over the wall, and sumptuously into the top corner! Barcelona have four, and the Pole has three.
Key stat
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article