After having gone through tumultuous days, Barcelona regained its joy by defeating Valencia, at home, by 4 to 2. With the victory in the duel corresponding to matchday 33 of the Spanish League, Xavi’s team was second in the table, ahead of Girona, and Entry to the Champions League was secured of the next season. The one that stood out at the Olympic stadium in Barcelona was Robert Lewandowski, who scored a hat trick. Barcelona did not have an easy start to the match because a blunder by goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen It meant a partial tie for the visitors. Then, a great game was played between the two teams.
Under torrential rain that fell throughout the day in the Catalan city, a sad week seemed to continue for the Blaugrana. The elimination with a rout included in the revenge of the Champions League quarterfinals against PSG (1-4) and the loss in the classic against Real Madrid on matchday 32, which left its archrival one step away from the championship, left Barcelona without the possibility of closing the season with a smile. All these condiments made you feel the low attendance of the public at Montjuic, despite the fact that it has been like this since the Culé team does not play at the Camp Nou, which is being remodeled. Perhaps Xavi’s continuity was one of the incentives in the face of so much pain.
However, this Monday against Valencia there were other glimpses of recovery after the worst week of the 2023/2024 season. When 22 minutes were played, Fermín López put the culé team ahead on the scoreboard. However, five minutes later, the blooper of the day would arrive. Peter, a footballer from the visiting team, threw the ball forward for Hugo Duro’s escape. However, the ball reached Ter Stegen who wanted to reject it, but he couldn’t connect it well and botched the clearance. The Valencia attacker took advantage of the error and went alone towards the free goal to establish the 1-1.
Ter Stegen’s blooper
As if that were not enough, at 38, Araujo fouled Peter in the area and referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea awarded a penalty. The one who took charge of the execution was Pepelu, who scored 2 to 1 for Valencia that turned the game around and the ghosts flew over the Olympic stadium.
But, upon the closing of the first stage, everything was going to change. First came a bad one for Valencia. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili He touched the ball outside the area in a hasty exit and had to be sent off. And in the last minute, Robert Lewandowski achieved equality with a goal that was going to serve as a boost to those led by Xavi and the Pole himself.
Although the second half cost the locals. that they were playing with one more, at 37 Lewandowski appeared again. After a series of rebounds, he scored 3 to 2 with a header. And in injury time the Pole scored the third of his personal account. Free kick to the corner, a gem from the striker, who with this hat-trick reached 16 goals in the League (he is three goals behind the top scorer, the Ukrainian Arem Dovbyk) and 56 goals since he arrived in Barcelona. The victory ended up being very important for the Blaugrana, who thus secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.
The summary of Barcelona’s triumph
After the match, Xavi was satisfied with the victory: “Positive. The game was controlled, but two errors made it complicated for us. Then, we won with the ball stopped. We lacked calm and tranquility. Still, happy and satisfied, because we came back in the game.”
He also referred to his continuity at the club and gave some reasons: “In the month of January I believed that I was responsible for the poor results and I wanted to step aside. In the following months things changed. Barça is a roller coaster. This happens to us culés, one day everything goes well and the next we destroy everything. I feel like I should continue. If they think not, I will leave, but I am just another culé, and if so I will come here to watch Barça with my children.” the hill.