FC Barcelona ended up laying down the law. This Monday evening, the Blaugrana overthrew Valencia (4-2), at the end of the 33rd day of La Liga. At the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys, Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick (49th, 82nd, 90th+3) while Fermin Lopez opened the scoring (22nd). Opposite, Ruben Baraja’s men managed to lead, thanks to Hugo Duro (27th) and the penalty scored by Pepelu (38th). Barça recovers second place and is eleven points behind the leader, Real Madrid. Valencia, for its part, remains eighth.
80% possession, 27 shots to five including thirteen on target against three… And yet, FC Barcelona, also in numerical superiority since the end of the first period, had to wait until the 82nd minute to take control in this meeting , at the display board level. Following yet another corner (Barça got fifteen against one for Valencia), Jaume Domenech repelled a first header from Ronald Araujo, but Robert Lewandowski was able to score, on his own, in the empty goal (82nd, 3-2 ).
Mamardashvili sent off just before the break
In the last minutes, the Polish striker did not let Ferran Torres hit a very good free kick from 20 meters. He took care of it and beat the opposing goalkeeper again, with a magnificent right-footed shot (90th + 3, 4-2). History of completing his work started at the start of the second period. When the debates resumed, Barça was trailing, but the former Bayern Munich player quickly equalized, with a first header from a corner (49th, 2-2). Robert Lewandowski became the first Barcelona striker since Samuel Eto’o, against Mallorca in September 2005, to score two headed goals in a La Liga match.
The score could therefore have been even heavier if Domenech had not intervened in front of Raphinha (45th + 7), Lewandowski (54th, 75th), Jules Koundé (62nd), Araujo (73rd, 86th) or even Joao Felix ( 78th). Jaume Domenech had a lot of work, but in just 45 minutes of play. The Spanish goalkeeper was forced to return just before the break, following the direct red card received by Giorgi Mamardashvili (45th + 4), guilty of having touched the ball, with the hand, outside the penalty area.
Ter Stegen’s huge blunder could have been costly
Before having to leave his partners at ten, the Georgian goalkeeper had been beaten once, on a very beautiful uncrossed header from Fermin Lopez, author of the opening score (22nd, 1-0), and who scored during of two consecutive La Liga matches for the first time. Before intervening in front of Joao Cancelo (44th) then being saved by his post, on a recovery from Araujo (45th + 1).
Above all, Mamardashvili was able to witness, as a spectator, the enormous blunder of his Barcelona counterpart. Marc-André ter Stegen, who intervened for the first time in front of Hugo Duro (14th), then attempted an improbable gesture, on the same opponent, with a small ball poked outside his penalty area. Duro did not let himself be surprised and managed to counter him before equalizing, in the empty goal (27th, 1-1).
In this first act, the Blaugrana defense was not at the party, with Araujo then committing a huge foul, from behind, on Peter Gonzalez, in his penalty area. Enough to lead to a penalty converted by Pepelu (38th, 1-2). But by pushing, Barça then ended up showing authority, to leave with the three points. And above all avoid, at the end of the season, seeing second place definitely pass under his nose.
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