Result: Valencia 2-3 FC Barcelona
Date: 02 May 2021
Venue: Mestalla
FC Barcelona kept their LaLiga title hopes alive with a 3-2 win over Valencia on Sunday evening, with Lionel Messi contributing with two goals at the Mestalla.
The Catalan giants made four changes from their loss to Granada, as Ronald Araujo, Clement Lenglet, Sergino Dest and Pedri were all recalled, with assistant coach Alfred Schreuder in charge on the bench after Ronald Koeman was sent off on Thursday.
Araujo came close to giving the visitors the lead after 13 minutes with a volley from Messi's free-kick that was saved by goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from close range.
Valencia were growing in the game and Uros Racic had a chance to break the deadlock for them just before the half-hour mark after receiving a cut-back from Jose Gaya in the centre of the box but his low strike towards the bottom corner was saved by shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Blaugrana had the momentum in the closing phase of the first stanza but they could not carve out clear openings, with Javi Gracia's charges playing with numbers behind the ball and the first stanza ended goalless.
The hosts had a bright start in the second stanza as Goncalo Guedes missed a one-on-one with Ter Stegen four minutes after the break, striking a low strike straight at the German goalkeeper from a quick counter-attack.
However, from the resultant corner Gabriel Paulista broke the deadlock for Valencia with a header into an empty net after Ter Stegen collided with his own player in a crowded area, falling down as a result.
The game turned around after Barca were awarded a penalty four minutes before the hour-mark after a handball by Antonio Latorre and while Messi's initial spot-kick was saved by Cillessen, the Argentine fired home after Pedri saw his rebound effort blocked.
Antoine Griezmann completed the turnaround for the Catalans in the 63rd minute with a strike from close range after Cillessen parried De Jong's header into his path.
Messi gave Blaugrana a two-goal cushion six minutes later with a curling strike from a free-kick just outside the box that looped over the wall and went in off the post.
Carlos Soler put the game on the edge in the last six minutes as he pulled a goal back for Valencia with a swerving strike from outside the box, but the Catalans held on to remain in third place, two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, whom they meet next Saturday at Camp Nou.
