🇪🇸 Barcelona reclaim LaLiga's second spot with Valencia comeback | OneFootball

Barcelona marked Xavi’s first game since reversing his decision to leave with a comeback win over Valencia.

Scorers: López 22′, Lewandowski 49′, 82′, 90+3′; Duro 27′, Pepelu (PEN) 38′

Sent off: Mamardashvili

Fermín López broke the deadlock midway through the first half by meeting Raphinha’s cross from the left with a guided header into the far corner.

The visitors levelled against the run of play with Hugo Duro capitalising on Marc-André ter Stegen’s botched clearance to roll the ball into an empty net.

Things went from bad to worse when Ronald Araújo conceded a penalty for hauling over Peter González, allowing Pepelu to wrongfoot Ter Stegen from the spot.

But a potential turning point presented itself late in first-half added time as Los Ches’ goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was sent off for handling the ball outside the area.

Robert Lewandowski restored parity shortly after the interval by heading İlkay Gündoğan’s  corner to the near post beyond Mamardashvili’s stand-in Jaume Doménech.

The Poland international produced another header in the closing stages before claiming his hat-trick with a sublime free kick deep into added time.

Barça leapfrogged Girona into LaLiga’s second spot while Valencia lost further ground in their European bid with four points still separating them from sixth place.