Robert Lewandowski Shines as Barcelona Triumph Over Valencia 2-1 in La Liga Opener
Robert Lewandowski delivered an outstanding effort in Barcelona’s La Liga season opener, scoring twice to help the team defeat Valencia 2-1 at the Mestalla Stadium.
In his first competitive match as Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick’s team overcame a late deficit to celebrate a significant victory. Ruben Baraja’s Valencia team put on a great display, but Lewandowski’s genius was the difference.
In their La Liga debut on Saturday, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona defeated Valencia 2-1 thanks to two goals from Robert Lewandowski. The German coach earned three points in his first competitive game in charge as Barca overcame a strong Valencia team led by Ruben Baraja.
After 44 minutes, Hugo Duro gave the home team the lead, but seasoned Polish striker Lewandowski tied the score with a close-range goal just before the half ended and scored a penalty early in the second. With champion Real Madrid, featuring the debutant Kylian Mbappe, playing on Sunday against Real Mallorca, Barcelona launched their challenge to win the championship with a commanding victory at Valencia’s boisterous Mestalla stadium.
Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and other key players were out for Barca, and Flick started with three 17-year-olds.
They were Pau Cubarsi, midfielder Marc Bernal, who was making his debut, and Spain’s Euro 2024 sensation Lamine Yamal, whose father was stabbed earlier this week in a horrific attack.
“In the second half I think we played much better and with three or four very young players — I think this match is very important, to win at the beginning of the season, especially at this stadium in Valencia, it’s very difficult,” Lewandowski stated to Movistar.
“My aim is always to score goals, I don’t know how many goals by the end of the season, but it is very important for me that as today was the first game, (I got) goals for confidence.”
The summer acquisition for Barcelona Dani Olmo has not yet registered to participate, and according to Flick, the playmaker still has to improve his level of fitness.
The coach was more pleased with his team’s performance in the second half than their pre-intermission effort.
“The second half was much better than the first half (where) we made a lot of mistakes,” Flick stated to Movistar. “We came back at the end of the first half and in the second half, we did much better.”
Despite both teams managing to create few clear chances in the first forty minutes, an equal first half came alive as the halftime approached. Duro nodded the best of them over the crossbar with a corner kick, while Giorgi Mamardashvili, the goalie for Valencia, stopped a hard drive from Raphinha.
In the 44th minute, Duro gave Valencia the lead by nodding in Diego Lopez’s cross after Inigo Martinez had mistakenly played him offside. Marc-Andre ter Stegen fumbled away the ball, and Cubarsi hacked Duro’s attempt to safety off the line, allowing Los Che to increase their lead.
After Yamal redirected Alejandro Balde’s cross back into the danger zone, Lewandowski scored the equalizer in stoppage time. After the interval, Barcelona took the lead when Raphinha was brought down by Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera.
Next Monday, Lewandowski will turn 36. He skillfully smashed the ensuing penalty into the top corner. For the majority of the second half, Barcelona maintained Valencia at a distance, which made the game move slowly.
The Catalans had the better opportunities to score again; late in the game, midfielder Marc Casado missed a clear opportunity to shoot wide after Ferran Torres went through. In stoppage time, Lewandowski had the opportunity to finish his hat-trick, but he shot over the crossbar.
“We had this match under control in the last stages,” the former Bayern Munich striker, who was coached by Flick in Germany, continued. “We took the first step on the first match day, and now we have three games (coming up in La Liga) that are very important.”
Some Valencia supporters cheered Yamal on for his performances with Spain after their Euro victory, even after he was replaced.
“I believe that everyone enjoys seeing Lamine play football since he is an excellent player… “I believe it’s safe to say that everyone enjoys watching him play,” Flick continued.
Barcelona‘s next league game is against Athletic Bilbao, the winners of the Copa del Rey, on Saturday.
