Real Valladolid pulled off a stunning 3-1 upset at home to Barcelona, lifting them out of the relegation zone in La Liga.
Andreas Christensen’s own goal in the second minute set the tone, followed by a successful penalty kick by Ciel Lauren and Gonzalo Plata’s clinical finish on the break. Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski managed a consolation goal, but it wasn’t enough to save the result.
During the match, Barcelona winger Rafinha showed a message of support for his compatriot Vinicius Junior, who was racially abused by Valencia fans. Raphinha’s gesture was praised by Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who stressed the need to combat racism.
Before the game, both teams held up a banner that read “out of racist football”, in line with an initiative by La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation to tackle racial abuse in the game.
Barcelona’s young playmaker Pablo Toure made his first La Liga start and showed promise. However, the team as a whole looked sluggish, resulting in their second straight loss.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is in pursuit of the La Liga clean sheet record, with 25 clean sheets to his name with two matches remaining.
Real Valladolid’s win proved crucial in their battle for LaLiga survival, lifting them above Getafe to 17th place. Meanwhile, Barcelona, already crowned champions, continue their quest to win the league.
Valladolid’s win was helped by a superb performance from goalkeeper Masep, who made a crucial save to deny Barcelona in the first half.
Looking ahead, Valladolid face an important match against Almeria, while Barcelona host Mallorca in their upcoming La Liga fixture.
