German Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona has not taken their foot off the gas in this start to the La Liga season and this Saturday they achieved an impressive home win against Valladolid (7-0) to consolidate their position as first in the Spanish championship standings.
Led by Brazilian winger Raphinha, who scored the first hat-trick of his career, the Barcelona side recorded their fourth win in as many games in what is proving to be a great start under the guidance of the German coach who is convincing in the first few moments of the season.
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The Brazilian was in charge of opening the goal festival at the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic, and his goal was achieved in the 20th minute. The FC Barcelona player received a pass from Pau Cubarsi and after outrunning the defender, he crossed the ball to goalkeeper Karl Hein to put the score at 1-0.
It didn’t take long for the Catalans to score again, this time thanks to Robert Lewandowski, who is still on fire with four goals in four games. An assist from Lamine Yamal (m.24) who with a long ball set up the Pole who after controlling the ball fired a cross-shot inside the area for the 2-0.
The young FC Barcelona star did not score but also had a remarkable performance with a couple of assists with which, according to Mister Chip, he reached 10 assists in La Liga at 17 years and 49 days. The youngest to reach this figure was Lionel Messi (20 years and 245 days).
Jules Kounde (m.45+2), Raphinhan (m.20, m.64, and m.72), Dani Olmo (m.82), and Ferran Torres (m.85) completed the resounding Barcelona win, which had not won with an advantage of seven or more goals since 2016 when it crushed Hercules (7-0) in a match corresponding to the Copa del Rey.
Hansi Flick highlights the forcefulness
FC Barcelona’s German coach, Hansi Flick, was satisfied with his team’s performance in the crushing victory over Valladolid (7-0) in which they gave a demonstration of forcefulness as well as effectiveness, a determining factor for the coach.
“We did well from the start. We created some great chances from the start and we took advantage of them,” said the German in the press conference after the match corresponding to the fourth round of the season in La Liga.
“The team was hungry after every goal and we attacked to score another. This is a good thing and makes the fans proud,” added the coach, who is having a great start to the season with 12 points from 12 played.
FC Barcelona will now have a couple of weeks off due to the FIFA double-header and will return to action on September 19 facing AS Monaco in the Champions League in its first match under the new format of the European championship.
There was less talk about the figures than about Barcelona’s sophisticated and exquisite collective play. The only thing that was mentioned was the figure of Flick, who for now is presented as the best signing for Barca, both for his behavior on the pitch and in the press room, always measured and serious, without concessions, aware that only four league games have been played.
The statistics assure in any case that it has been the best start for Barcelona in the last six years (2018-2019). The anxiety of Barcelona is so great that sometimes they even forget the League won two years ago with Xavi. Nobody better expresses the situation that Barcelona is experiencing than Raphinha. He was never a figure, neither in Barcelona nor in the Brazilian national team, and yet today he is the most decisive forward of a vindictive and exuberant Barca.
