Lewandowski nets brace as Barcelona come from behind to beat Valencia

Barcelona began their La Liga campaign with a victory at Valencia under new boss Hansi Flick.

Former Germany manager Flick’s side had to come from behind after Hugo Duro tapped in a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The first half was a slow burner until Duro’s 44th-minute opener.

The game then burst into life, with Duro having an effort cleared off the line before Robert Lewandowski connected with Lamine Yamal’s drilled pass to equalize.

Valencia put up a strong showing before the break, but Barcelona demonstrated their superiority in the second half.

Veteran striker Lewandowski converted a penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was tripped inside the box.

Yamal, a constant threat on the wings, troubled Valencia with his dribbling.

Despite Valencia causing problems with their counter-attacks and Barcelona’s occasional sloppiness in midfield, Flick’s team managed to control the rest of the game, nullifying Valencia’s threats and securing all three points.

Barcelona, who finished 10 points behind champions Real Madrid last season, face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, 24 August (18:00 BST) in their next La Liga game.