Barcelona staged a dramatic comeback to beat Real Valladolid 2-1 and extend their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points over reigning champions Real Madrid. The match, held at Estadio Jose Zorrilla, saw the visitors recover from an early setback to secure the victory with goals from substitutes Raphinha and Fermin Lopez within six second-half minutes.
Valladolid stunned the crowd by taking an unexpected lead early in the second half. Ivan Sanchez scored with a heavily-deflected shot from a tight angle, giving the already-relegated team a shock advantage. Despite the setback, Barcelona dominated possession and created numerous chances, with the youthful Lamine Yamal making an immediate impact after coming on for the injured Dani Rodriguez at 38 minutes.
The Catalan giants drew level when Raphinha fired home his 16th La Liga goal of the season, a precise shot from the edge of the area that sparked their resurgence. Lopez then put Barcelona ahead with a clinical finish, sealing the comeback and their 15th league game unbeaten, including 13 wins. The visitors pushed hard for a third, with Hector Fort’s strike hitting the post and Yamal’s effort cleared off the line, but they held on for the win.
Manager Hansi Flick made nine changes to his side ahead of Tuesday’s crucial second-leg Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, which explains the somewhat weakened lineup. Despite this, Barcelona’s resilience shone through as they maintained their impressive form — winning 17 of their past 19 matches against Valladolid.
The result keeps Barcelona in pole position in La Liga, with a comfortable buffer as they push toward their first league title in several years.
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