Barcelona, the new champion since May 10, can now rest. They deserve it. Some can already think about the World Cup and others about their trips. In fact, the blaugrana team left for vacation half an hour early. The season could have ended when the top scorer Lewandowski said goodbye with what he does best: an opportunistic and instinctive goal. However, the disconnection was evident and Valencia took advantage to come back with two goals in five minutes.
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The week that started with Flick’s renewal, continued with a dinner on the beach, went on the rides at PortAventura and visited Bud Bunny’s house, ended in a stadium always passionate like Mestalla, where Valencia dreamed of returning to play European competitions six years later but needed to win and a stroke of luck that did not happen. Barça had nothing to play for but gave a lesson in professionalism and even managed to take the lead with Robert Lewandowski’s last goal in the blaugrana shirt, the 120th in four seasons. But it was not enough to get more points than those given to Gerard Martín in the head after Rioja hit him with the studs of his boot. No foul was called, by the way.
The champion’s absences
Besides Lamine Yamal and Fermín, Raphinha and Koundé did not travel and Pedri and Cubarsí did not play
With Lamine Yamal and Fermín recovering, neither Koundé nor Raphinha traveled to Mestalla with their minds already on the World Cup. Pedri and Cubarsí also did not play.
In August 2024, Flick debuted on Barcelona’s bench at Mestalla with a young, very offensive team (4 forwards) but with uncertainties. 21 months later, the German coach’s Barça appeared at the Valencian field also with homegrown players, with many certainties and two consecutive leagues in the pocket. They earned the peace of not having to win the title here, coming with the homework done and an outstanding record even though the champion’s recognition corridor was not made for them.
Joan Garcia wins the Zamora
Szczesny has not been able to keep a clean sheet in his eleven games as a starter
With Joan Garcia on the bench, the goalkeeper from Sallent secures the Zamora trophy in his first season at Barça. Szczesny played, as in Vitoria, protected by Araújo and Gerard Martín in the center and Eric and Balde on the wings. During the first half, it seemed the defense’s mission was to keep the Polish goalkeeper from having to intervene. Even Gavi, fearless, threw himself to the ground to block a shot from Rioja in the small area.
In attack, Ferran Torres was the most motivated in a forward line in which perhaps next season only he will remain, since Lewandowski is not renewing and Rashford’s loan ends and he is supposed to return to Manchester.
If in the afternoon the center of Valencia was filled with green in support of the indefinite strike carried out by teachers, yellow appeared strongly again at Mestalla at night, once again as a protest against the club owner, Peter Lim. Posters and balloons of discontent filled the stands while the match was played on the pitch. Some things do not change no matter how many years pass.
In that atmosphere, the visitors’ first shot came after a recovery by Bernal, who covered a lot of ground, at the edge of the area. Balde made a wall with Olmo, who returned it but the fullback’s shot went to the side netting of Dimitrievski.
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But Lewandowski did not want to leave without leaving his last mark. And he almost did in a corner where he got ahead of Dimitrievski and Pepelu but his header hit the post.
He couldn’t in the first half but he did say goodbye in his own way in the second when he caught a volley from Ferran and stretching his left leg put 0-1. A farewell worthy of the number nine, who leaves with three leagues and an average of 30 goals per season.
At halftime, Araújo also did not want to take risks and asked to be substituted. The fullback Xavi Espart came in and Eric moved to center back. Just after the goal, Christensen reappeared, who had not played since December. Espart and the Dane did not understand each other and in a mistake on the exit, the talented Javi Guerra, who now plays as a forward, stole the ball and shot Szczesny to level the score.
That goal gave wings to the locals and five minutes later they turned the score around. Rioja placed the ball on his left foot to score low with another powerful shot. The Polish goalkeeper has not kept a clean sheet in the eleven matches he has started. Christensen came close to the equalizer in successive attacking runs. But in added time, Szczesny still conceded a third with another good shot from Guido Rodríguez. It’s time to rest. Preseason starts on July 13.
Match details
Valencia, 3 – Barcelona, 1
Valencia: Dimitrievski, Núñez, Pepelu, Tárrega, Jesús Vázquez (Correia 80), Ugrinic, Guido Rodríguez, Rioja, Javi Guerra (Almeida 97), Diego López (Ramazani 52) and Hugo Duro (Sadiq 80)
Coach: Carlos Corberán
Barcelona: Szczesny, Eric Garcia (Christensen 62), Araújo (Xavi Espart 46), Gerard Martín, Balde, Marc Bernal (Casadó 83), Gavi, Dani Olmo (F. De Jong 62), Ferran Torres (Cancelo 83), Rashford and Lewandowski
Coach: Hansi Flick
Stadium: Mestalla (46,457 spectators).
Referee: Cordero Vega (c. Cantabrian).
Cards: Yellow cards for Tárrega, Unai Núñez, Christensen and Marc Bernal.
Goals: 0-1 Lewandowski (61), 1-1 Javi Guerra (66), 2-1 Rioja (71), 3-1 Guido Rodríguez (97).
