The ‘new’ FC Barcelona of Hansi Flick starts the season with a victory. A difficult first day, against Valencia in Mestallawhere they did not go beyond a draw last year, and without counting on the great Blaugrana signing in their ranks: Dani Olmo, not yet registered in the league. A new course with new faces, new faces’Made in La Masia‘ and expectations are sky-high.
From calm to vertigo in the first half
A first half where chances were conspicuous by their absence and the few clear chances that there were were from the home team with Almeida on the right or Hugo Duro as protagonists. Mamardashviliwho is expected to have a short future at Valencia, started at Mestalla and was alert to prevent a dangerous left-footed shot from Raphinha. In Stegen He also had to pull out a magic hand to stop a poisoned ball from Cubarsí.
With the black and whites pressing harder and Hansi Flick’s men missing in the opposition box, the minutes passed and nothing happened on the pitch. When everything seemed to indicate that the score would remain at zero until half-time, the match woke up. Hugo Durowho had been trying throughout the first half, managed to put the ‘Che’ team ahead, with a cross from Diego Lopez who headed the ball past the German wall to make it 1-0. Initially, they called offside, but the VAR decided to put it on the scoreboard.
The locals came close to the second due to an error by Ter Stegen in the ball’s exit, it fell again into the hands of Diego López who repeated with Duro and was Cubarsi who took the ball over the goal line. Right after this action and with the first half practically over, Robert Lewandowski He emerged as the hero of the match, tying the game before half-time. Lamine Yamal He assisted with a pass into the six-yard box and the Pole had little more work to do.
The penalty was the sentence
Two minutes into the second half, Flycatcher He committed a penalty on Raphinha and, once again, Lewandowski did not forgive and put the Catalans ahead. With that, the Pole has six goals against the Valencian club, being the club he has scored the most for as a Barça playerIt took a while for the locals to get going again, until a near finish from Duro and the Possible second yellow card for Cubarsi that everyone demanded. The FC Barcelona bench was moving with the incorporation of Pedri and more debutants like Gerard Martin y Pau Victor.
A goal that the Valencians were ultimately unable to recover from. Despite having been superior in the first 45 minutes, they were losing to the Catalans, who were remarkably comfortable in their game.
First match of the 2024/2025 season that ends with a home defeat for the Valencians and with the First win of the ‘Flick’ era for FC Barcelona, who will have their next test on Saturday 24th at home against Athletic Club.