In the absence of football, Barça lives off the goals of Lewandowski, who already has 18, 13 in the League. The foreshortening of the Polish striker after a play by Raphinha in added time rescued the Barça team in a grim match played at Mestalla. Barça’s matches in Valencia are among the longest in the League. Some of his best victories have come in added time, like this Saturday, just when Xavi’s team seemed most demoralized. Lewandowski appeared at the right time and his goal led to a victory as personal as that of Mallorca. A nod after all to Villa on the day that the Asturian from Tuilla was honored because he scored so many goals with Valencia and Barcelona. The Barcelona fans celebrated the goal as if they had won the League. Sometimes melancholy, sometimes anguished, always paralyzed by the elimination of the Champions League, Barça got lost in Mestalla. His was a disheartening performance until Lewandowski got it right.
0
Samuel Lino, Foulquier, Eray Cömert, Gayá, Cavani (Marcos André, min. 18), Andre Almeida (Lato, min. 72), Mamardashvili, Gabriel Paulista, Thierry Correia (Vazquez Mayor, min. 79), Justin Kluivert (Samu Castillejo, minute 72) and Hugo Guillamón
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Ter Stegen, Lewandowski, Koundé (Piqué, min. 73), Alba, Alex Balde, Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, Ousmane Dembélé (Ferrán Torres, min. 56), Ansu Fati (Raphinha, min. 56), Eric Garcia (Marcos Alonso, min. 42) and Busquets (Gavi, min. 56)
goals 0-1 min. 93: Lewandowski.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
Yellow cards Eric Garcia (min. 21), Marcos Alonso (min. 44), Samuel Lino (min. 67), Hugo Guillamón (min. 83), Gavi (min. 88), Piqué (min. 92) and Ferrán Torres (min. 96)
Valencia put pressure on Busquets, Eric and Koundé very well from the start. He covered the pass line and tried not to give Barcelona space. The defensive demand was maximum for Gattuso’s forwards. Cavani barely lasted a quarter of an hour on the pitch while Mamardashvili was flustered with the ball at his feet every time he met Ansu Fati. The striker was quickly released from the marks, undetectable by the media and defenses, and frequently stepped on the Valencia area. There was no way, however, that the play would end and when he finally focused on the goal and found the net he was offside to the relief of the Mestalla stands.
Ansu was not right, Dembélé was wrong and Lewandowski did not appear. To the beat of Pedri, more participatory and decisive inside than as a false winger, Barcelona played too comfortable and overly confident against a fragile and decimated Valencia. The list of casualties increased —Nico, Ilaix, Musah, Diakhaby— and the difficulty of the game was so great that the fans became aware that it was necessary to help rather than ask in a survival exercise that necessarily passed through the mercy of Barça. Infallible against Villarreal and Athletic, when they converted three and four occasions into goals, the azulgrana did not know how to finish off Valencia.
The match was very open at the break because in exchange for a shot to the post by Lewandowski, Eric García —later replaced due to injury— and Marcos Alonso were charged with a yellow card —it could have been red in the case of the Madrid native— after a poor defense on Marcos André and Kluivert. The azulgrana needed to generate more football to win and close their defense better so as not to give up points in a fief as frizzy as it is conducive if one takes into account that they had only lost one of the last 15 games there — 2-0 in the 2019-2020 season —. The azulgrana neglects are constant in each game, also in Mestalla. Only a handball by Marcos André invalidated a goal by Samuel Lino.
The play portrayed the defense, from Jordi Alba to Balde, clumsy with and without the ball, in the same way that Marcos Alonso was portrayed. Barça’s lack of forcefulness encouraged Valencia and forced Xavi to intervene. Barcelona tried to react with the entry of Raphinha, Ferran and Gavi and the departure of Busquets. Gattuso’s team, however, was driven by demons before the clamor of Mestalla. On the other hand, the azulgrana did not respond, very disoriented and worried after the fall of Koundé. The central defender’s injury was as alarming as Piqué’s entry seemed frivolous. It was difficult for the central defender to get off the bench and put on his boots to finish the unfortunate clash at Mestalla.
The match progressively decayed as the players collapsed from the effort due to Xavi’s impotence and Gattuso’s impatience. The azulgrana let themselves be carried away by the current, lacking game and rhythm, very exposed and irritable, aware that the concession of any point compromised their status as Madrid’s rival in the League. There was no football or plays on the Barça side, desperate since the break, when Lewandowski appeared in the last action. The goal allows time to be saved while waiting for Xavi to find the team after not stopping changing players without knowing very well what Barça is playing for. The only recognizable one is Lewandowski.
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