Barcelona started the La Liga season under new head coach Hansi Flick with a win in Valencia.
Former German coach Flick’s team had to come from behind after Hugo Duro tipped Diego Lopez’s cross past Marc-André ter Stegen.
The first half was slow until Duro opened the scoring in the 44th minute. Then things really came alive: Duro cleared an effort off the line before Robert Lewandowski equalised after Lamine Yamal’s pass.
Valencia had put in a strong performance before half-time, but Barcelona then showed their superiority and took the lead when experienced striker Lewandowski converted a penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was brought down in the box.
Yamal was a constant threat and Valencia could hardly deal with his dribbling on the wings.
Valencia caused trouble of their own, as Barcelona were often careless in midfield and the hosts were strong on the counterattack.
But in the end, Flick’s men were a class better and managed to neutralize Valencia’s attacks well and take all three points.
Barcelona, who finished second last season, ten points behind champions Real Madrid, face Athletic Bilbao in their next La Liga match on Saturday 24 August (18:00 CEST).
