Spain: Barcelona beat Valencia
Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona
A win over Valencia kicked off Barcelona's La Liga campaign under new manager Hansi Flick.
Former Germany boss Flick's team had to come from behind after Hugo Duro scored from a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The first half started slowly, but Duro opened the scoring in the 44th minute, sparking the match into life. Duro had a chance cleared off the line, but Robert Lewandowski then equalized from a Lamine Yamal pass.
Valencia had a strong first half, but Barcelona showed their superiority in the second half, taking the lead through veteran striker Lewandowski's penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was fouled in the box.
Yamal was a constant threat with his dribbling on the wings, causing problems for Valencia.
Despite Valencia's strong counter-attacks and Barcelona's midfield errors, Flick's team ultimately proved to be of a higher class, managing the game well and neutralizing Valencia's threats to secure all three points.
Best reaction
Flick starts with win as Lewy scores a brace 🔥⚽
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 18, 2024
William, a Liverpool fan, also watches Valencia and says they are his second team. He said: "Valencia played ok. I think they can definitely qualify for next season's Champions League by finishing in the top 4."
The NewsBall Facebook page posted: "Barcelona didn't put in their best performance, but they still beat Valencia. Their squad probably still needs a lot of work, and it remains to be seen whether they can get enough transfer business done over the next ten days."
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