FC Barcelona vs Valencia : Match review and analysis
Barcelona’s title ambitions were dealt another blow as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Valencia, suffering a third consecutive league defeat now for the first time since 2003.
FC Barcelona vs Valencia : Match review and analysis
An own goal by Ivan Rakitic gave Valencia a shocking lead on 27 minutes Manti Mina doubled their advantage just before the break of the FC Barcelona vs Valencia match.
Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal for club and country to lessen the deficit midway through the second half, but was unable to really inspire a comeback.
Barca remain top of the Primera Division with 76 points but are only ahead of Atletico Madrid due to their superior head-to-head record against them. Just three weeks ago they led Diego Simeone’s side at the top by a remarkable nine points.
With hopes of a second successive treble now in ruins, Luis Enrique returned to his usual starting lineup after his rotations against Real Sociedad crucially backfired, but dropped Dani Alves, who had irked some supporters by posting a rather light-hearted video on Instagram after the European defeat to Atletico, in favour of Sergi Roberto.
Valencia were returning to the scene of their most humiliating defeat in 24 years, a 7-0 Copa del Rey FC Barcelona vs Valencia semifinal humiliation here marking the start of the end of Gary Neville’s brief tenure.
There was an element of fortune to Valencia’s opener. Guilherme Siqueira attacked bravely down the left and his cross deflected off the boot of the sliding Rakitic, and Bravo was completely unable to prevent the ball beating him at his near post.
Dani Parejo drove forward and intelligently slipped a swift pass out to Mina, who shot across Bravo and his driven effort was just too powerful for the Chilean.
Valencia continued to frustrate Barca in the second half also but Messi pulled the hosts back into the FC Barcelona vs Valencia game in the 63rd minute of the FC Barcelona vs Valencia encounter, arriving to meet Jordi Alba’s low cross from eight yards out to finally defeat Alves.
