Lewandowski’s triple propels Barcelona to victory at Valencia

In a rare Monday night match, FC Barcelona defeated Valencia 4-2; nonetheless, the victory required far more effort than the score would indicate.

In a very unpredictable contest, Barça trailed at the half even though they had taken the lead. When the visitors’ goalkeeper was sent off shortly before halftime, things turned around for the better, but Barca needed to make the most of the circumstances in the second half.

They most definitely did, one man in particular. The squad moved back up to second position in the Liga table thanks to a magnificent hat-trick by Robert Lewandowski, who also brought home the match ball.

Barca had an almost flawless start, scoring the first goal in minute 22 by taking advantage of their early dominance. With a beautiful cross from Raphinha, Fermin Lopez sprang to tip the ball with his head. Although it appeared that Barca would have an easy ride, Valencia managed to turn the tables before the first half was up, scoring a goal when Peter Federico was clear through on goal.

Hugo Duro scored the first goal after Ter Stegen made a mistake in clearing the ball, leaving an empty net. Not how the German had intended to commemorate being the non-native player with the most Barca appearances.

Ronald Araujo brought Peter down in the penalty area, and Pepula converted the kick for the visitors’ second goal. Although the situation had become more complex, Barca was rewarded with the opportunity to play the entire second half with one additional man.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Valencia goalkeeper, botched his own clearance and handled the ball outside of his box in a last-ditch effort to stop Raphinha from taking advantage of the mistake. Yes, it was a red card, as the referee was encouraged to examine it more closely by VAR.