Barcelona put seven past Valencia to end La Liga blip

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Fermín López delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice and providing two assists as Barcelona cruised to a dominant victory over Valencia, snapping a four-game winless streak in La Liga.

Frenkie de Jong opened the scoring just two minutes in with a low strike into the bottom corner, followed by Ferran Torres doubling the lead shortly after.

Raphinha made it 3-0 in the 14th minute, calmly slotting into an empty net after being sent clear on goal.

López showcased his skill by controlling a long ball and finishing past Liverpool-bound goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

He added his second goal in first-half stoppage time, pouncing on the rebound after Raphinha’s shot hit the crossbar.

Valencia managed a consolation goal when Hugo Duro converted a Diego López cross just before the hour mark.

However, substitute Robert Lewandowski restored Barcelona’s dominance with his 17th league goal of the season, firing into the bottom corner.

César Tarrega then scored an own goal, capping off Barcelona’s biggest La Liga win since a 7-0 triumph over Real Valladolid in August 2024.

The victory followed their dramatic 5-4 Champions League win against Benfica earlier in the week.

Barcelona have now scored 100 goals in 32 matches under manager Hansi Flick, making him the second-fastest to achieve this milestone after Helenio Herrera in 1959 (31 games).

Sitting third in the league, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid, Barcelona will next host Serie A side Atalanta on Wednesday (20:00 GMT), having already secured a place in the Champions League last 16.

Meanwhile, Valencia, under the management of Carlos Corberán, remain in 19th place and continue to face relegation battles.