Barcelona blew away a miserable Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get back on track in La Liga with a ruthless victory.<o:p></o:p>
Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans in the first half, along with goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead at the break.<o:p></o:p>
Hugo Duro pulled one back early in the second half before Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, followed by a Cesar Tarrega own goal, with the third-placed hosts earning just their second win in their last nine league matches.<o:p></o:p>
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Hansi Flick's side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.<o:p></o:p>
"I think in La Liga we were in a bad dynamic and we needed this win, it's very important and now we have to keep fighting," Lopez told DAZN. "The coach says everyone in the team is important, and whoever is playing we have to be up to it -- that's what being a team is and that's how we can compete for the title. <o:p></o:p>
"There's still a long way to go and we will fight until the end."<o:p></o:p>
Flick shuffled his pack against Valencia in order to spark a response given the club's poor domestic form.<o:p></o:p>
The coach began with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, while Pedri was absent because of a stomach bug, leading to De Jong, Ferran Torres and the superb Lopez all starting.<o:p></o:p>
It took just three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him in the area virtually unmarked, and he fired home.<o:p></o:p>
Barcelona soon had their second, with Torres tucking home from Alejandro Balde's cross, in similar fashion to the first goal but from the opposite flank.<o:p></o:p>
The hosts moved three goals ahead in the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fine ball over the top for Raphinha to run onto.<o:p></o:p>
The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled home for his 12th league goal of the season.<o:p></o:p>
Valencia, without the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, were struggling badly in defence and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will.<o:p></o:p>
Lopez collected a perfectly measured Pau Cubarsi long pass for the fourth and although it was initially ruled offside, the decision was corrected by VAR.<o:p></o:p>
Valencia thought they had won a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought down Hugo Duro but play was eventually brought back for a foul on Jules Kounde after another video review.<o:p></o:p>
Lopez rattled home the fifth on the volley before half-time when Raphinha's effort hit the post and fell nicely for him with the goalkeeper stranded.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Lopez struck twice for Barcelona in the first half, along with goals from De Jong, Torres and Raphinha, giving them a commanding five-goal lead at the break.

Barcelona blew away a miserable Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get back on track in La Liga with a ruthless victory. Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans in the first half, along with goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead at the break. Hugo Duro pulled one back early in the second half before Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, followed by a Cesar Tarrega own goal, with the third-placed hosts earning just their second win in their last nine league matches. Also read | Premier League: Pressure mounts on Ange Postecoglou after Leicester stun Tottenham Hotpsur Hansi Flick's side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three. "I think in La Liga we were in a bad dynamic and we needed this win, it's very important and now we have to keep fighting," Lopez told DAZN. "The coach says everyone in the team is important, and whoever is playing we have to be up to it -- that's what being a team is and that's how we can compete for the title. "There's still a long way to go and we will fight until the end." Flick shuffled his pack against Valencia in order to spark a response given the club's poor domestic form. The coach began with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, while Pedri was absent because of a stomach bug, leading to De Jong, Ferran Torres and the superb Lopez all starting. It took just three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him in the area virtually unmarked, and he fired home. Barcelona soon had their second, with Torres tucking home from Alejandro Balde's cross, in similar fashion to the first goal but from the opposite flank. The hosts moved three goals ahead in the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fine ball over the top for Raphinha to run onto. The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled home for his 12th league goal of the season. Valencia, without the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, were struggling badly in defence and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will. Lopez collected a perfectly measured Pau Cubarsi long pass for the fourth and although it was initially ruled offside, the decision was corrected by VAR. Valencia thought they had won a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought down Hugo Duro but play was eventually brought back for a foul on Jules Kounde after another video review. Lopez rattled home the fifth on the volley before half-time when Raphinha's effort hit the post and fell nicely for him with the goalkeeper stranded. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Barcelona hit seven past miserable Valencia to find La Liga form

Barcelona must harness the euphoria of their thrilling Champions League victory at Benfica to halt a miserable run of La Liga form against an improving Valencia side on Sunday. The Catalan giants have just one victory in their last eight league games and have dropped seven points behind champions and current leaders Real Madrid.<o:p></o:p>
Valencia visit the Olympic stadium on the back of an impressive 1-0 home win against Real Sociedad last weekend, with the team already looking stronger under new coach Carlos Corberan.<o:p></o:p>
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The former West Bromwich Albion coach was appointed on Christmas day, and his side came close to taking points off Madrid in a narrow 2-1 defeat in his first outing.<o:p></o:p>
Los Che have also won two cup games in January to reach the quarter-finals, where they will also face Barcelona.<o:p></o:p>
Their win over Real Sociedad helped them climb off the bottom of the table to 19th, four points from safety.<o:p></o:p>
Corberan and Co face a Barcelona side that has scored five goals in three of their last four matches, but their only league game in that period finished in a frustrating 1-1 draw at Getafe last Saturday.<o:p></o:p>
Valencia will take note of how the Madrid minnows' low block defence caused Hansi Flick's side a great deal of difficulty to break down and will likely follow suit.<o:p></o:p>
Flick said his team also had to work on their defensive mistakes against Benfica ahead of the Valencia clash.<o:p></o:p>
"It's important we speak about this, because the next opponents will look at this match and we have to make it better, and we will do that," said the German coach. "We will train on this, if it's possible, or we can (discuss it) in the meeting, we can do some technical things.<o:p></o:p>
"We analyse everything and we'll show (the players) what we have to do better."<o:p></o:p>
La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski netted twice in midweek from the penalty spot but has only produced one goal in his last five league matches.<o:p></o:p>
Getafe also managed to keep Barca's teenage starlet Lamine Yamal quiet, which few other sides have managed this season.<o:p></o:p>
Corberan called on his Valencia team to keep improving ahead of the trip to Barcelona.<o:p></o:p>
"We have to keep growing, I'm going to get the most out of every game we play," said the Valencia coach. "I'm not here to say that we have to grow for the sake of it, it's a reality of football.<o:p></o:p>
"The team is increasing in terms of personality, dedication, commitment and it's very important to consolidate that."<o:p></o:p>
Valencia have only been relegated once in the club's history, in 1986, and were promoted the following year.<o:p></o:p>
Their improvement under Corberan will be confirmed if they can take even a point from title challengers Barcelona, which could prove vital come the end of the season.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
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Sports, Football: The Catalan giants have just one victory in their last eight league games and have dropped seven points behind champions and current leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona must harness the euphoria of their thrilling Champions League victory at Benfica to halt a miserable run of La Liga form against an improving Valencia side on Sunday. The Catalan giants have just one victory in their last eight league games and have dropped seven points behind champions and current leaders Real Madrid. Valencia visit the Olympic stadium on the back of an impressive 1-0 home win against Real Sociedad last weekend, with the team already looking stronger under new coach Carlos Corberan. Also read | PL giants Manchester United and Spurs prevail in Europa League outings The former West Bromwich Albion coach was appointed on Christmas day, and his side came close to taking points off Madrid in a narrow 2-1 defeat in his first outing. Los Che have also won two cup games in January to reach the quarter-finals, where they will also face Barcelona. Their win over Real Sociedad helped them climb off the bottom of the table to 19th, four points from safety. Corberan and Co face a Barcelona side that has scored five goals in three of their last four matches, but their only league game in that period finished in a frustrating 1-1 draw at Getafe last Saturday. Valencia will take note of how the Madrid minnows' low block defence caused Hansi Flick's side a great deal of difficulty to break down and will likely follow suit. Flick said his team also had to work on their defensive mistakes against Benfica ahead of the Valencia clash. "It's important we speak about this, because the next opponents will look at this match and we have to make it better, and we will do that," said the German coach. "We will train on this, if it's possible, or we can (discuss it) in the meeting, we can do some technical things. "We analyse everything and we'll show (the players) what we have to do better." La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski netted twice in midweek from the penalty spot but has only produced one goal in his last five league matches. Getafe also managed to keep Barca's teenage starlet Lamine Yamal quiet, which few other sides have managed this season. Corberan called on his Valencia team to keep improving ahead of the trip to Barcelona. "We have to keep growing, I'm going to get the most out of every game we play," said the Valencia coach. "I'm not here to say that we have to grow for the sake of it, it's a reality of football. "The team is increasing in terms of personality, dedication, commitment and it's very important to consolidate that." Valencia have only been relegated once in the club's history, in 1986, and were promoted the following year. Their improvement under Corberan will be confirmed if they can take even a point from title challengers Barcelona, which could prove vital come the end of the season. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Preview: Barcelona hope to end horrid Liga form against improving Valencia

Ansu Fati marked his first start in almost a year by scoring one goal and creating another as Barcelona came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 in LaLiga at Camp Nou on Sunday.

The victory moved Ronald Koeman's side up to seventh in the table on 15 points, five behind league leaders Real Sociedad but with a game in hand.

"It was really important to get the win. It`s a key week for us in the season and we've started it well," midfielder Frenkie de Jong said.

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"We need to build our confidence, which is really important for the team. It's always tough when you concede early on but we bounced back well, playing with intensity and our attitude was first class."

Despite being allowed a full capacity crowd for the first time since March 2020, Barca`s ground was only half full - and those in attendance were silenced after five minutes as Jose Gaya`s long-range strike swerved into the far corner past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barca responded well and Fati levelled after 13 minutes with a wonderful curled finished from the edge of the box. 
The youngster was then felled inside the box by Gaya four minutes before the break and Memphis Depay stepped up to net from the spot.

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Carlos Soller hit the woodwork after the break as Valencia pushed for an equaliser and Guedes forced Ter Stegen into a smart stop at his near post as the visitors ramped up the pressure.

The home side held firm, however, and were able to secure all three points when substitute Philippe Coutinho fired in from close range five minutes from the end following tenacious work from Sergino Dest.

Ansu Fati marked his first start in almost a year by scoring one goal and creating another as Barcelona came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 in LaLiga at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Ansu Fati marked his first start in almost a year by scoring one goal and creating another as Barcelona came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 in LaLiga at Camp Nou on Sunday. The victory moved Ronald Koeman's side up to seventh in the table on 15 points, five behind league leaders Real Sociedad but with a game in hand. "It was really important to get the win. It`s a key week for us in the season and we've started it well," midfielder Frenkie de Jong said. ALSO READ: Premier League: West Ham United snatch battling win at Everton "We need to build our confidence, which is really important for the team. It's always tough when you concede early on but we bounced back well, playing with intensity and our attitude was first class." Despite being allowed a full capacity crowd for the first time since March 2020, Barca`s ground was only half full - and those in attendance were silenced after five minutes as Jose Gaya`s long-range strike swerved into the far corner past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Barca responded well and Fati levelled after 13 minutes with a wonderful curled finished from the edge of the box. The youngster was then felled inside the box by Gaya four minutes before the break and Memphis Depay stepped up to net from the spot. ALSO READ: Bundesliga: Bayern Munich smash five past Leverkusen to reclaim top spot Carlos Soller hit the woodwork after the break as Valencia pushed for an equaliser and Guedes forced Ter Stegen into a smart stop at his near post as the visitors ramped up the pressure. The home side held firm, however, and were able to secure all three points when substitute Philippe Coutinho fired in from close range five minutes from the end following tenacious work from Sergino Dest.

La Liga: Ansu Fati stars on first start in almost a year as Barcelona beat Valencia

Argentina star<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-near-couple-of-significant-records-held-by-pele-350498"> Lionel Messi</a>,33, equalled Brazilian legend Pele's record 643 goals for a single club but his personal exploits were&nbsp;not good enough as Barcelona had to settle for a draw at home against Valencia in the La Liga.

Messi was lucky to get his record-equalling feat as he initially missed a penalty but Jordi Alba kept the ball alive and deflected the cross which was headed home by the Argentine.

Barcelona had fallen behind after a goal from Mouctar Diakhaby but Messi equalised&nbsp;as Antoine Griezmann earned a penalty for the Catalans. Barcelona went ahead after a scissor strike from Uruguayan international Ronald Araujo.

The match took another turn as Valencia's Maxi Gomez got in front of defender Oscar Mingueza to turn in a cross and equalise.

In a duel&nbsp;of legends, Messi has taken several more games to dismount the Brazilian superhero as Pele had scored 643 goals in 665 games for Santos, while Messi took 748 matches to reach the tally.

Pele who debuted for Santos aged 15 had joined&nbsp;the club&nbsp;in 1956 and played until 1974 as Brazil became multiple world champions. The Brazilian star helped Santos clinch six national league titles and two Copa Libertadores Cup.

Messi joined Barcelona aged 17 in 2004 and has helped win the club 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

Barcelona is currently eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid who beat Elche 3-1 to maintain their supremacy.

Argentina star Lionel Messi,33, equalled Brazilian legend Pele's record 643 goals for a single club but his personal exploits were not good enough as Barcelona had to settle for a draw at home against Valencia in the La Liga.

Argentina star Lionel Messi,33, equalled Brazilian legend Pele's record 643 goals for a single club but his personal exploits were not good enough as Barcelona had to settle for a draw at home against Valencia in the La Liga. Messi was lucky to get his record-equalling feat as he initially missed a penalty but Jordi Alba kept the ball alive and deflected the cross which was headed home by the Argentine. Barcelona had fallen behind after a goal from Mouctar Diakhaby but Messi equalised as Antoine Griezmann earned a penalty for the Catalans. Barcelona went ahead after a scissor strike from Uruguayan international Ronald Araujo. The match took another turn as Valencia's Maxi Gomez got in front of defender Oscar Mingueza to turn in a cross and equalise. In a duel of legends, Messi has taken several more games to dismount the Brazilian superhero as Pele had scored 643 goals in 665 games for Santos, while Messi took 748 matches to reach the tally. Pele who debuted for Santos aged 15 had joined the club in 1956 and played until 1974 as Brazil became multiple world champions. The Brazilian star helped Santos clinch six national league titles and two Copa Libertadores Cup. Messi joined Barcelona aged 17 in 2004 and has helped win the club 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. Barcelona is currently eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid who beat Elche 3-1 to maintain their supremacy.

Barcelona star Messi equals Pele's record of 643 goals for a single club