Barcelona commences its La Liga journey with a 2-1 victory in an away encounter against Valencia.
A strike from Robert Lewandowski, reuniting with Flick after their time together at Bayern Munich, turned around a 1-0 disadvantage and delivered the first league victory of the season for the Blaugrana.
"Before the match, I said we have to accept the fight because the atmosphere is insane and Valencia played some excellent offense," Flick shared with Barca’s official website post-match. "We had numerous issues in the first half, but in the second half, we improved significantly, so we're really pleased."
Both sides had opportunities to take the lead in the early stages of the game, but it was Valencia that scored first, with Hugo Duro heading in a pinpoint cross from Diego López, putting his side ahead just before halftime. That goal seemed to invigorate the game, leading to a chaotic few minutes of action.
Not long after, Valencia almost extended its lead, with only a dramatic goal line clearance from Pau Cubarsí preventing it from finding the back of the net after it had beaten keeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
However, Los Ches’ lead was brief. In the final moments of added time before the break, Lewandowski scored the first of his two goals, poking the ball home as he connected with Lamine Yamal’s cross.
Just minutes into the second half, Lewandowski netted his second, converting a penalty from the spot after Cristhian Mosquera brought down Raphinha in the box.
"Playing Valencia in this stadium is incredibly challenging, especially in the first game after preseason," Lewandowski said after the game. "And it's a little bonkers with so many players returning at different times, so I think this game was crucial for us, especially with the young players involved."
Three of Barcelona's starting XI were under 18, including youngster Yamal, who continued to test Valencia's defense in the second half, dancing past defenders and setting up Barcelona's attack.
Although the team failed to find a third goal, Barcelona's lead was relatively secure, and it held on for the victory. All eyes now turn to see if eternal rival Real Madrid can respond in its trip to Mallorca on Sunday evening.
In the thrilling second half, Lamine Yamal's cross set up another opportunity for Robert Lewandowski, further demonstrating the impact of the sportsman in football. During the post-match interview, Lewandowski acknowledged the difficulty of playing against Valencia, highlighting that this football match was crucial for Barcelona.
