In the middle of the two -legged in the semi -final of the Champions League with Inter Milan, FC Barcelona She had to try to take the next step to the Spanish championship. On Saturday evening, Hansi Flick's team did not have too difficult task, because they were facing a nightmare and degraded Real Valladolid. Only that Flick himself decided to make it difficult, who took a huge risk and put up an eleven with as many as ten reserve. Pedri was the only “surviving” from the basic composition, and there was not a single Pole on the pitch, because Robert Lewandowski is injured, and Wojciech Szczęsny He was replaced by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen returning after a serious injury.
Flick played with fire, but Barcelona took the next step to the championship without Poles
Such composition and with only four points advantage over Real Madrid, FC Barcelona She was asking for trouble and received them quickly. Already in the sixth minute of playing a shot from the corner of the penalty area, Ivan Sanchez decided, and after the roars Marc-Andre Ter Stegen calculated the ball's flight track badly and after a fairly specific jump he could only watch how the ball bursts into the goal.
A moment later it could have been up to 2: 0, because Raul Moro found himself in the situation alone, but he hit exactly where Ter Stegen stood. After a while, the fans of Real Valladolid came to the fore, who after 12 minutes began to throw banknotes on the pitch with the image of the club owner – the legendary Ronaldo, demanding his departure with the shouts of “Ronaldo, Vete Ya!” (“Ronaldo, go away!”).
Later, FC Barcelona dominated on the pitch, but it was not easy for her to break the defense of the team already degraded to Segunda Division. He was well defended by the goalkeeper of Real Andre Ferreira, who first coped with the dangerous shot of Pau Victor's head, as well as a precise hit from a dozen or so meters of Ansu Fatie. Several times in the penalty area, the rivals were well blocked by Valladolid defenders, and the arrows of Gavi or Ronald Araujo's heads after the permanent fragments of the game soaked above the bar.
Hansi Flick in the Saturday meeting gave a chance from the first minute to less than 20-year-old winger Rodriguez, who was active in dribbling, but he had a very badly set sight at distance shots. What's more, the young man was also very unlucky when he suffered a shoulder injury in the 35th minute, after which he had to be changed by Laminee Yamal. And despite the efforts of the second of those mentioned after entering the field, it smelled a huge sensation until the break in Valladolid, because Real led 1: 0.
Hansi Flick had to react during the break and let Raphinha and Frenki de Jonga, but by the way removed from Pedri's pitch. And it brought the effect very quickly, because in the 54th minute after Lamine Yamal's cross, Ronald Araujo did not reach, and Andre Ferreira chased her straight under the feet of Raphinhi, who with a flat shot from 16 meters led to equalization.
Barcelona felt blood and followed the blow. The effects came quickly, because already in the 60th minute it was 2: 1 for Barca, when in the hunting guests Gerard Martin from the left wing he played the ball for 14 meters to Fermin Lopez, and he defeated Ferreira with a strong flat shot with his left foot.
Real Valladolid did not give up at all. Latas's reserve juanmi, who hit his head, and then tried too poorly to cause Ter Stegen's problems. In the meantime, Hector Fort was close to the third goal for Barcelona, who after passing the lamine heel Yamal hit flat from the penalty area so that the ball bounced off the post.
In the 80th minute of his goal, Yamal, who hit the air after the cross from the left side of the pitch, but the ball on the goal line was stopped by the defender of the hosts Antonio Candela. A few minutes later Dani Olmo shot accurately from a free kick, but also that Andre Ferreira easily bounced the ball.
FC Barcelona ultimately not without problems, but she defeated Real Valladolid 2: 1 away, and Hansi Flick without negative effects allowed his best players to play a little less minutes than usual. Barca increased the advantage over Real Madrid to seven points, but the “Royal” match of the 34th queue with Celta Vigo will play only on Sunday.
Now, however, the Flick team is waiting for a rematch in the semi -final of the Champions League with Inter Milan on San Siro, which will take place on Tuesday and there is a very good chance that we will see in this match Already both Poles – Wojciech Szczęsny and Robert Lewandowski returning after injury. The next match in the league is El Clasico with Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on Sunday in a week at 16:15.