The blue and red thrashing was uncontestable. Deafening. Mestalla counted up to five. Few times have more opposite soundtracks been seen than those played by Valencia and Barcelona. The former was a victim of fear. The latter set a leader’s pace. Of a champion licensed to dream of the third consecutive League. Even if it is matchday 4. Even if the thermometer marked 36 degrees. It doesn’t matter. They were five great goals. Lamine Yamal scored a double. And Fermín joined the party. And Raphinha. And Pedri. The lone leader shone in the soon-to-be old Mestalla, a stadium that begins to say goodbye to its fans in the worst possible way while waiting for the New Mestalla: more hostile than ever. Propelling from their throats boos much louder against Peter Lim and his management than against Barcelona itself. An atmosphere that terrifies its own team, a soulless group at the mercy of Barcelona.
Read more What is the PISA Report and why Catalonia is left without comparable results
The melody that inspires Barcelona fans is the opposite. Flick gave Rodri his first start in his 100th La Liga match. By his side, Pedri, Flick’s dream pair. Pedri’s nervousness when the Madrid player replaced him in Spain’s starting eleven at the World Cup now seems very distant. Barça is another story. Little by little they adapted better: Rodri conducted the orchestra with gestures and a solid defense. Pedri kept the tempo. And he would score the 0-4.
Barça’s ‘10’, despite the knee injury, scored two goals in Rodri’s starting debut
But first it was Lamine Yamal who set the pace for the relentless Barça. The bandaged knee after the blow doesn’t matter. Or that he didn’t train the day before as a precaution. Nothing can stop the winger. What a dance he had with Fermín. Both took over the right flank and a great chipped pass from the Andalusian served Rocafonda’s player to score a flag goal: a shot over Dimitrievski. A goal of extreme elegance that silenced Mestalla. Five minutes had passed. A storm was brewing. Meanwhile, Lamine dedicated the goal to his brother Keyne, who was turning three.
Lamine wanted more. And again, Fermín gave him the second three minutes later. Mestalla, now yes, exploded with rage. And that even though at that time the occupants of the fan section had not yet entered, who had requested access from minute 19 – for the year 1919 when the club was founded – as a protest. And even though VAR annulled the goal for an offside by Lamine impossible to detect by the human eye. We must trust technology.
“Calm down, you’ll score another,” Flick told Rocafonda’s player, who intimidated Dimitrievski inside the area again and again. But his first ally was Fermín. It was Fermín who caught Gordon’s back pass inside the area to send the ball far from Dimitrievski’s reach, with a crossed shot.
Fermín, Raphinha and Pedri finished the thrashing in a hostile Valencia, tired and outraged with their club
Barça only conceded two defensive errors, both resolved without consequences. The first came after a loss by Gerard Martín, dazzled by the sun against Danjuma. An imperial Cubarsí burst in as a firewall and stopped the action. The second came after Eric Garcia’s injury, who received a blow to the nose from Rodri. The Madrid player, distraught, apologized. The Martorell player downplayed it: last year he played with a mask after breaking his nose. He turned it into his talisman. Koundé replaced him and, precisely, was involved in the next mistake: he lost a ball and Danjuma found space again, but Rodri, at the limit, blocked his advance and Joan Garcia ended up getting the ball. Because of coverages like this, Rodri will shine even more in this Barça.
Barça got the goal from their number nine: a trapped Raphinha, less involved than usual, victim of the five-man defense set up by Corberán. It’s okay. Everything comes. The league top scorer finished a great collective play by Barça with Rodri, Lamine and Fermín, who assisted him at the far post. The captain, thirsty for goals, made an uncontested shot.
Also read
Barça advanced relentlessly against a declining Valencia. Fermín looked for Raphinha and left Gordon alone, who barely failed to lift the 0-4. It’s hard to take Fermín off, author of 4 goals this season. Like Gordon, who has the same number of assists. But Flick, a great minutes manager, called Adeyemi, Bernal and an impeccable Olmo. Flick was not wrong: a wall pass from the latter with Pedri that the Canarian magician finished with class against Dimitrievski meant 0-4.
Even Gabriel Jesus in his smooth debut was close to the goalkeeper. But the final note was set by the one who began composing the most steamroller version of Barça: Lamine Yamal through Olmo’s second assist of the afternoon. And Barça, unquestionable and lone leader, ended its La Liga stage in the old Mestalla to the rhythm of a champion against a sad Valencia.
Match sheet
Valencia, 0- FC Barcelona, 5
Valencia: Dimitrievski, Maffeo (Elliott,54), Arnau Martínez, Pepelu (Tárrega, 54), Diakhaby (Iker Córdoba, 63), Jesús Vázquez (Gayà, 54); Otorbi (Hugo Duro, 76), Dieng, Ugrinic, Javi Guerra (Sato,63) and Danjuma.
Coach: Carlos Corberán
Barcelona: Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia (Koundé, 29), Cubarsí (Christensen, 62), Gerard Martín, Xavi Espart, Rodri (Bernal, 62), Pedri (Gabriel Jesus, 81), Fermín (Olmo, 75); Lamine Yamal, Gordon (Adeyemi,62) and Raphinha
Coach: Hansi Flick
Stadium: Mestalla (47,319 spectators)
Referee: Díaz de Mera
Cards: Yellow cards to Arnau, Cubarsí, Rodri and Fermín
Goals: 0-1 Lamine Yamal (5), 0-2 Fermín (22), 0-3 Raphinha (55), 0-4 Pedri (79) and 0-5 Lamine (84)
Read more Madrid activates free bus and Bicimad rides on September 7 and 8 for the return to schools
