Barcelona demonstrated their championship credentials with a spirited second-half comeback to defeat Real Valladolid 2-1 at the Estadio Jose Zorilla on Saturday, extending their lead at the summit of La Liga to seven points.
The Catalans found themselves trailing early when Ivan Sanchez caught Marc-Andre ter Stegen off guard in the sixth minute with a deflected cross-shot that looped into the side netting.
Despite controlling possession, Flick’s men struggled to break down Valladolid’s compact defensive setup throughout the first half.
However, Barcelona emerged from the break with renewed purpose. The equalizer arrived nine minutes into the second half when Raphinha reacted quickest to pounce on a rebound from goalkeeper Ferreira’s save.
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The comeback was complete just six minutes later when Fermin Lopez converted Gerard Martin’s precise pass to put the visitors ahead.
Barcelona continued to press for a third goal, with Raphinha testing Ferreira from two free-kick opportunities, while substitutes Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal also forced saves from the Valladolid keeper.
The statistics reflected Barcelona’s dominance, as they recorded an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.06 compared to Valladolid’s 0.59.
For already-relegated Valladolid, attention now turns toward building for a promotion push next season. They face a trip to Mallorca in their next fixture.
Meanwhile, Barcelona must quickly refocus as they prepare for Tuesday’s crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter Milan at the San Siro, Italy, where they’ll aim to continue their impressive form on all fronts under Hansi Flick’s guidance.
