Two second half goals helped Barcelona avoid the upset vs. the already relegated Real Valladolid and continue to inch closer to the La Liga title.
Real Valladolid took the lead six minutes into the match when Iván Sánchez's shot took an awkward deflection off Ronald Araújo that Marc-André ter Stegen misjudged, showing clear signs of rust after a seven plus month absence.
Hansi Flick made nine changes to the lineup that started the first leg of the Champions League semifinals vs. Inter Milan on Wednesday. Dani Rodríguez made his Barça first team debut, but suffered a right arm injury that forced Flick to bring on Lamine Yamal just before halftime.
Losing going into the second half, Flick turned to his bench again and introduced Raphinha. It didn't take long for the Brazilian to make his presence felt, as he pounced on a rebound from a Yamal cross that André Ferreira tried to clear and tucked in Barça's equalizer in the 54th minute.
Just six minutes later, Gerard Martín sent in a deadly low cross from the left wing that Fermín López emphatically fired into the back of the net to complete yet another Barcelona comeback.
The Catalans cruised to the finish line but not before losing another player to injury, with Gavi asking for his substitution whilst grabbing his hamstring 10 minutes from the final whistle.
The victory gives Barça a 7 point lead over Real Madrid who play tomorrow. If Los Blancos lose to Celta Vigo, then Barcelona can become La Liga champions with a win in El Clásico next weekend. Up next for Barça, though, is the crucial second leg of the Champions League semifinals vs. Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Player ratings from the game below.
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Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Real Valladolid (4-2-3-1)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Player of the Match: Gerard Martin
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Valladolid 1-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings as Barca Stars Fuel Second Half Comeback.
