Real Valladolid claimed a crucial victory against Barcelona, lifting them out of the relegation zone and boosting their chances of staying in La Liga.
Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen’s own goal in the second minute put Valladolid on course, Canadian striker Cyle Larion converted a penalty and Ecuador winger Gonzalo Plata scored in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win. of Although Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski pulled one back, it wasn’t enough to change the result.
The match was marked by a heartbreaking gesture from Barcelona winger Rafinha, who showed support for fellow Brazilian and Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior, after Vinicius was racially abused during the previous match. Rafinha’s message on his shirt after being substituted sent a strong statement against racism, which Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong praised.
In a united stand against racism, players from both teams held up a banner before the game that read “Racist from football”, in reference to the abuse of Venezia by La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation. The initiative was supported in response to
Barcelona’s poor performance allowed Real Valladolid to capitalize on their win, moving them above Getafe and into 17th place in the La Liga table. Barcelona, already crowned champions, are still looking for their first league win after winning the title.
Real Valladolid goalkeeper Jordi Masip was instrumental in maintaining their lead, making six saves in the first half to thwart Barcelona’s attempts to score. Masip’s performance was crucial in ensuring his team’s victory.
With two matches remaining, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is on course to break La Liga’s clean sheet record. He currently has 25 clean sheets and is targeting a total of 26.
Real Valladolid will now turn their attention to a crucial match against Almeria, while Barcelona face Mallorca in their upcoming La Liga fixture.
