The Albany Gazette - Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine

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.

Hansi Flick's side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.

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.

Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia early in the second half from Diego Lopez's low cross and Flick responded by sending on La Liga's top goalscorer Lewandowski.

The Polish forward finished clinically for his 17th league goal of the season after being sent through by Lopez for Barca's sixth on the night.

Barcelona netted their seventh when Torres's hammered cross was deflected into his own net by Tarrega.

Seven goals did not flatter Barcelona by any means and the thrashing is a setback for Carlos Corberan's Valencia, 19th and four points from safety.

Earlier Athletic Bilbao, fourth, could only produce a 0-0 draw at home against Leganes, and now trail Barcelona by two points.

Relegation-battling Getafe earned an impressive 3-0 win at Real Sociedad to climb to 14th, while Rayo Vallecano came from behind to beat Girona 2-1.

(R.White--TAG)