Barcelona kicks off La Liga campaign with a 2-1 away win over Valencia
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — Barcelona kicked off its La Liga season with a 2-1 away victory against Valencia on Saturday, marking a winning start to new manager Hansi Flick’s tenure.
A brace from Robert Lewandowski, reuniting with Flick after their time together at Bayern Munich, overhauled a 1-0 deficit and secured the first league win of the season for the Blaugrana.
“Before the match, I said we have to accept the fight because the atmosphere is unbelievable and Valencia played the right offense,” Flick told Barça’s website post-match. “We had many problems in the first half, but in the second half, we made it much better, so we are really happy.”
Both sides came close to taking the lead in the game’s opening exchanges, but it was Valencia who found the back of the net first with Hugo Duro heading in an inch-perfect cross from Diego López to put his side ahead just before half-time. That goal seemed to open up the game, setting up a frenetic few minutes of action.
Minutes later, Valencia almost doubled its lead with only a last-ditch goal line clearance from Pau Cubarsí keeping the ball out the net after it had beaten keeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
But Los Ches’ slender lead was shortlived. In the dying moments of added time before the break, Lewandowski scored the first of his two goals, jabbing the ball in as he latched onto Lamine Yamal’s cross.
Just after half-time, Lewandowski had his second, converting a penalty from the spot after Cristhian Mosquera fouled Raphinha in the box.
“Playing Valencia in this stadium, it’s very difficult, especially the first game after preseason,” Lewandowski said after the game. “And it’s a little bit crazy with so many players coming back at a different time, so I think this game for us is very important, especially with the young players on the pitch.”
Three of Barça’s starting XI were aged 17, including teenage star Yamal who kept probing Valencia’s defense in the second half, spinning away from defenders and unlocking the Blaugrana attack.
Though the team couldn’t find a third goal, Barcelona’s lead never came under much threat and it held on for a win as all eyes now turn to see if eternal rival Real Madrid can answer back in its trip to Mallorca on Sunday evening.
The-CNN-Wire
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