Barcelona 2-2 Valencia
La Liga champions Barcelona had a tough test tonight as the ever-improving Valencia took a well-deserved point from a thoroughly entertaining match.
Seventy-seven thousand passionate fans at the Camp Nou watched a belter of a game as their heroes came back from a two-goal deficit to grab a share of the spoils, with a double from who else but Lionel Messi?
There aren’t many of us in the SBOBET football family who don’t think that Ernesto Valverde’s team will lift the title again this year, but the La Liga 2019 betting odds will take a little wobble if both Madrid teams win tomorrow. But for now, Barcelona are six points clear at the top.
Highlights of the game
In a breathtaking first half of two penalties and three goals, Valencia stormed into a two-goal lead as both sides showed plenty of intent in the opening exchanges.
Valencia’s Daniel Parejo tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen twice in the first three minutes. His second effort, teed up by Daniel Wass, flew towards the bottom corner before the Barca keeper expertly saved it. Then Lionel Messi, seeking to score in his eighth consecutive game, brought a fine save from Neto with a long-range effort. And then, on the quarter hour, Philippe Coutinho took a pass from Arturo Vidal and unleashed a superb shot heading for the top corner. But again, Neto was equal to it.
But as Barca pressed for the opener, they were hit on the counter-attack. When Rodrigo put a beautifully weighted through ball on a plate for Kevin Gameiro, the striker slid the ball home. Things got worse for the Catalans on the half hour when Sergi Roberto fouled Wass in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Daniel Parejo got the goal he deserved as he fired the penalty in the top-left corner, giving Ter Stegen no chance.
The deficit was halved before the break, though, when Valencia’s Toni Lato was penalised for a foul on Nelson Semedo. This gave Messi the chance to continue his incredible scoring run, which he did with clinical efficiency: he slotted the ball low into the bottom-right corner to set up the second half beautifully.
Barca came out after the break with all guns blazing, Thomas Vermaelen, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic all rained shots down on the Valencia goal in the opening ten minutes, Neto saving well from a low Rakitic effort. The Valencia stopper has been a key figure in Valencia’s rise up the table.
Los Che won only one of their first 11 games but have since won five from ten to lift them into the top seven, thanks mainly to the excellent form of their well-drilled defence. They have conceded just 18 goals before kick-off, second only to the legendary Atletico rearguard. But they eventually succumbed to the pressure from Barcelona when Messi scored his second, taking a pass from Vidal and firing a peach low into the corner and beyond the reach of Neto.
The fans at the Camp Nou could sense another famous victory, and Coutinho came agonisingly close with a free-kick on 72 minutes. But Valencia weren’t giving up on the game, and both Rodrigo and Santi Mina had good attempts on the Barca goal.
Key Statistics
Barca had 70 per cent of the ball in the first half with nine shots to seven. Both Ter Stegen and Neto were busy goalkeepers as each side had four shots on target.
As the hosts roared back in the second half, it looked like they might overcome the visitors, but Valencia stayed in the game and ended up with seven shots on target to Barca’s eight; a draw was a fair result.
Lionel Messi scored in his seventh consecutive league game against Girona last week, and that made it eight when the 39th-minute penalty was given. It’s anybody’s guess when that run will end.
Barca are now unbeaten against Valencia in eight, winning five and drawing three.
What’s next?
Barcelona fans can keep an eye on the La Liga 2019 updates tomorrow, particularly the fixtures involving the two Madrid clubs. Their heroes are up against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Semi-Final before travelling away to Athletic Bilbao in the league.
Valencia are away to Real Betis in the Copa, and then back at the Mestalla to host Real Sociedad in La Liga – both teams battling for a European slot.
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