Three talking points from Barcelona 7-1 Valencia | OneFootball

Barcelona’s win over Valencia last night was sealed before the game even kicked off in complete flow as the Catalans gave the relegation-threatened side simply no chance to engineer any form of comeback.

Frenkie de Jong opened the scoring in just the third minute of the game and Ferran Torres made it 2-0 before even the ten-minute mark.

Quickfire goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez made it 4-0 before the half-hour mark and the La Masia star soon hit the team’s fifth goal before half-time.

A relatively silent second-half still saw Barcelona score twice and inflict a 7-1 scoreline against the Mestalla-based side, closing a dominant and deserved win in La Liga.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Barcelona 7-1 Valencia.

A win that felt like two

Barcelona’s win over Valencia was satisfying on multiple levels, right from the scoreline to the dominance they showed on the field.

The Catalans ensured the result was beyond doubt in the opening 20 minutes and put five goals past Valencia by the half-time mark. However, the magnitude of the win goes far beyond its implications on the league title race.

Indeed, the three points help Barcelona pull closer to Atletico Madrid who dropped points earlier this week and thus re-stamp their authority in La Liga after a lean spell. The psychological impact it has on Valencia, however, cannot be understated.

Barcelona and Valencia are scheduled to lock horns once more in under two weeks in a knockout Copa del Rey quarterfinal fixture and losing 7-1 against the Blaugrana last night will undoubtedly serve as a massive barrier for them when they meet again.

Hansi Flick’s men thus not only won last night but also took a massive step towards securing a win next week and a place in the semifinal of the cup. If anything, it feels like two wins bundled into one night.

Fermin Lopez’s much-needed booster

Star of the show. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Fermin Lopez was the hero for Spain in the Olympics, winning his country the gold medal and leading from the front. An injury after his return to Catalonia, however, derailed his season in part.

The La Masia graduate did not look the same in the months that followed, lacked any inspiration in the final third and was off with his movements. Until last night.

Starting against Valencia, Fermin was back to his lethal best and created a threat with his every touch. He shone as the attacking midfielder and not only directly threatened on goal but also served as the chief creator.

It was Lopez who assisted Raphinha’s goal on the night to make it 3-0 with a wonderful pass and he himself scored just ten minutes later to rack up his first goal of the season.

The youngster then completed his brace just before half-time, volleying a rebound off Raphinha’s shot with supreme confidence and putting it beyond Mamadarshvili’s reach.

Lopez then went on to assist Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the second half with another defence-splitting pass. He totalled three key passes on the night, created one big chance, completed four dribbles and 88% of his passes.

Given the season he was having, it was a much-needed confidence booster for the 21-year-old who has proved his worth in style. It now remains to be seen how Flick manager his minutes along with Dani Olmo and Gavi.

Successful rotations

Keeping the unforgiving schedule in mind, Hansi Flick maintained his regular route of rotations even against Valencia last night, resting some key players while missing others for external reasons.

Pedri was unavailable owing to a stomach bug and did not play a part, giving Frenkie de Jong a chance to start alongside Marc Casado in the defensive midfield.

Fermin Lopez earned a start as well as the No. 10 playing in place of Gavi who has seen a large share of minutes in 2025.

Robert Lewandowski was the other player Flick opted to rotate, giving the Polish striker a break and providing Ferran Torres the start in his place. Also swapped from the lineup was Ronald Araujo whose place was taken by Eric Garcia.

To pull off such a special win with so many fringe players participating is reassuring enough, but the performance each and every one of them provided last night was impressive.

Flick’s rotations could not be more successful as Fermin had one of his best nights in a Barcelona shirt and Frenkie de Jong dished out a spectacular performance that turned boos into an ovation when he left the field.

Eric Garcia also impressed with his ball-playing skills, forming a solid partnership with Pau Cubarsi and never looking out of his depth. Torres, for his part, was spectacular in creating a goal-scoring threat and was flawless barring some missed chances.