The Albany Gazette - Barcelona hit seven past Valencia to restore La Liga push

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.

"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.

- 'Angry and sad' -

Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia before the hour mark 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' hammered cross was deflected into his own net by Tarrega.

"For me it was the perfect match," Flick told reporters.

"(Fermin) today showed how good he was... he attacked everything and defended very well, with the ball he was unbelievable."

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.

"I feel angry and sad for all the people who came to see us, all the fans watching at home, we have to say sorry because we weren't up to the level of the game or the shirt that we represent," said Valencia defender Jose Gaya.

"It was an enormous step backwards, we have to ask for forgiveness... we have to feel hurt after this, we can't forget it, we have to focus that energy and rage into the next game."

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.

(D.Lewis--TAG)