With a decisive 7-1 victory over Valencia on Sunday night, FC Barcelona made a spectacular comeback to form in La Liga. With this victory, they are only three points out of second place.
The Catalan team took control of the game after a disheartening tie with Getafe the weekend before, due to goals from Ferran Torres in the ninth minute and Frenkie de Jong in the third. With two goals from Fermin Lopez (25th and 45+4 minutes) and assists from Raphinha (14th minute) and Robert Lewandowski (66th minute), who began the game on the bench, Barcelona continued to demonstrate their attacking ability.
When Spanish defender Cesar Tarrega deflected a Ferran Torres shot into his own net in the 75th minute, he unintentionally scored an own goal, further compounding Valencia’s problems.
Hugo Duro’s goal in the 59th minute was the only solace Valencia could muster. However, a VAR review revealed a foul on Jules Koundé during the buildup, rescinding his previous potential penalty.
In addition to being Barcelona’s first league win since early December, this outstanding performance moves them closer to Atletico Madrid, who currently hold second place with 45 points following a poor stalemate with Villarreal (1-1) on Saturday.
After a remarkable comeback victory over Benfica (5-4) on Tuesday, Hansi Flick’s team has already guaranteed their spot in the Champions League knockout stage. On Wednesday, they will play Atalanta in the last group stage match. On February 6, they will also play Valencia once more in the Copa del Ray quarterfinals.
