Barcelona delivered a dominant performance in LaLiga on Sunday, dismantling relegation-threatened Valencia with a resounding 7-1 victory at Camp Nou.
The emphatic win brought Hansi Flick’s side closer to second-placed Atletico Madrid, narrowing the gap to just three points.
Meanwhile, league leaders Real Madrid maintained a seven-point cushion following their triumph over Real Valladolid.
The hosts wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Frenkie de Jong opening the scoring just three minutes into the game.
Lamine Yamal’s pinpoint cross found the Dutch midfielder, who controlled the ball before calmly slotting it into the net.
Barcelona doubled their lead moments later, as Ferran Torres converted Alejandro Balde’s delivery with precision, leaving Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili with no chance.
Raphinha extended the advantage soon after, continuing his impressive form by latching onto a through ball from Fermin Lopez, rounding Mamardashvili, and finishing confidently.
By halftime, the game was effectively over. Lopez stole the spotlight with a brace, his second goal coming fortuitously after Raphinha’s shot struck the woodwork and rebounded kindly for him to finish.
Valencia managed a consolation goal through Hugo Duro shortly before the hour mark, but Barcelona were relentless. Substitute Robert Lewandowski added the sixth with a powerful header, and the night took an even worse turn for Valencia when Cesar Tarrega inadvertently turned Raphinha’s cross into his own net with 15 minutes remaining.
This commanding display followed Barcelona’s dramatic midweek Champions League victory over Benfica, allowing them to leave their recent struggles firmly behind.
The Blaugrana’s electrifying start to the game saw them score four goals within the first 24 minutes, a feat last achieved in October 2008 against Almeria, also at home.
Remarkably, Barcelona’s current tally of 101 goals after 32 league matches is the third-highest in their history at this stage of a season.Only Helenio Herrera, who reached 100 goals in just 31 games, achieved this milestone faster than Flick.
Among many standout performers, Fermin Lopez delivered an exceptional display, contributing two goals and two assists.
The Spaniard’s performance marked a personal milestone, as he scored and assisted in the same game for the first time in a Barcelona shirt.
Impressively, he became only the second player in the club’s history to be involved in three goals before halftime of a LaLiga match.
