Barcelona blew away a depressing Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get again on monitor in La Liga with a ruthless victory.
Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans within the first half, together with objectives from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead on the break.
Hugo Duro pulled one again early within the second half earlier than Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, adopted by a Cesar Tarrega personal purpose, with the third-placed hosts incomes simply their second win of their final 9 league matches.
Hansi Flick’s aspect path La Liga leaders Actual Madrid by seven factors and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.
“I believe in La Liga we have been in a nasty dynamic and we wanted this win, it is crucial and now now we have to maintain combating,” Lopez informed DAZN.
“The coach says everybody within the group is vital, and whoever is taking part in now we have to be as much as it — that is what being a group is and that is how we will compete for the title.
“There’s nonetheless an extended option to go and we’ll combat till the tip.”
Flick shuffled his pack towards Valencia with the intention to spark a response given the membership’s poor home type.
The coach started with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, whereas Pedri was absent due to a abdomen bug, resulting in De Jong, Ferran Torres and the excellent Lopez all beginning.
It took simply three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him within the space just about unmarked, and he fired house.
Barcelona quickly had their second, with Torres tucking house from Alejandro Balde’s cross, in comparable style to the primary purpose however from the other flank.
The hosts moved three objectives forward within the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fantastic ball excessive for Raphinha to run onto.
The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled house for his twelfth league purpose of the season.
Valencia, with out the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, have been struggling badly in defence and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will.
Lopez collected a superbly measured Pau Cubarsi lengthy move for the fourth and though it was initially dominated offside, the choice was corrected by VAR.
Valencia thought they’d received a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny introduced down Hugo Duro however play was ultimately introduced again for a foul on Jules Kounde after one other video overview.
Lopez rattled house the fifth on the volley earlier than half-time when Raphinha’s effort hit the put up and fell properly for him with the goalkeeper stranded.
– ‘Indignant and unhappy’ –
Hugo Duro pulled one again for Valencia earlier than the hour mark from Diego Lopez’s low cross and Flick responded by sending on La Liga’s prime goalscorer Lewandowski.
The Polish ahead completed clinically for his seventeenth league purpose of the season after being despatched by by Lopez for Barca’s sixth on the evening.
Barcelona netted their seventh when Torres’ hammered cross was deflected into his personal web by Tarrega.
“For me it was the right match,” Flick informed reporters.
“(Fermin) at the moment confirmed how good he was… he attacked every little thing and defended very nicely, with the ball he was unbelievable.”
Seven objectives didn’t flatter Barcelona by any means and the beating is a setback for Carlos Corberan’s Valencia, nineteenth and 4 factors from security.
“I really feel offended and unhappy for all of the individuals who got here to see us, all of the followers watching at house, now we have to ask for forgiveness as a result of we weren’t as much as the extent of the sport or the shirt that we signify,” mentioned Valencia defender Jose Gaya.
“It was an unlimited step backwards, now we have to make an apology… now we have to really feel damage after this, we won’t overlook it, now we have to focus that vitality and rage into the following sport.”
Earlier Athletic Bilbao, fourth, might solely produce a 0-0 draw at house towards Leganes, and now path Barcelona by two factors.
Relegation-battling Getafe earned a formidable 3-0 win at Actual Sociedad to climb to 14th, whereas Rayo Vallecano got here from behind to beat Girona 2-1.
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