Barcelona extended the gap atop LaLiga to seven points with a 2-1 comeback win at relegated Real Valladolid on Saturday thanks to second-half strikes by Raphinha and Fermin Lopez.
Barça have 79 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who host Celta Vigo on Sunday. Hansi Flick’s side next visit Inter Milan in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday after a 3-3 draw in midweek.
Valladolid took a surprise lead after six minutes when Iván Sánchez latched onto Raúl Moro‘s through ball and fired a deflected cross into the far post past Marc-André ter Stegen.
The Germany international was making his return after a seven-month injury absence, though Flick later confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny would return in goal against Inter and in the week’s Clásico with Real Madrid.
“I was really looking forward to playing this game and it’s always better when you win,” Ter Stegen told DAZN. “We keep our good run of results going, which was important.
“Now we look forward to the next few weeks. We have some big games coming up which are going to be nice for everyone.
“When you’re 1-0 down, it’s difficult at any team. They had nothing to lose. They worked hard tonight, with the fans behind them, but we did what needed to do, won the game and now we move on.”
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Barcelona’s attempts to respond to going a goal down before the break were thwarted by André Ferreira‘s fine goalkeeping, with the Portuguese denying Ansu Fati and Lopez as the visitors struggled for rhythm.
The match was briefly halted when 19-year-old debutant Dani Rodríguez required medical attention before being replaced by Lamine Yamal. Barcelona also lost midfielder Gavi to injury in the second half, though it looked to be a far less serious issue.
“I think Gavi is OK,” Flick told reporters. “I hope it’s not an injury. He said after the match he’s OK. But we have to wait for tomorrow.
“Dani, I am really sad about him. It’s tough. He came from an injury, now he has his first match with us. He was really happy to have it. He showed what I see in training in the game. We will take care about him and if he’s back, then he can always train with us.”
Flick’s men found their groove after the interval, though, with substitute Raphinha curling a delightful half-volley into the bottom corner in the 54th minute after Ferreira parried Yamal’s cross.
Lopez completed the turnaround on the hour mark, firing home from distance after a clinical pass from Gerard Martín.
They went in search of a third, with Hector Fort hitting the post after a quick counter-attack and Yamal’s shot brilliantly cleared off the line by defender Antonio Candela.
The hosts threatened late on, with Ter Stegen denying substitute Juanmi Latasa, while Moro went close in the dying minutes, but Barcelona held firm.
“When you make nine changes, it’s not easy for these guys who came in,” Flick said. “They are young. I believe in them. I have the highest confidence in my players. They give everything. It was not easy, when you have the ball, to control then all like we did.”
Information from Reuters and ESPN’s Sam Marsden was used in this report.
