Valencia: Barcelona, bruised after Champions League removing in midweek, snatched a past due 1-0 victory at Valencia on Saturday in Los angeles Liga, with Robert Lewandowski stretching to transform a 93rd minute winner.

The Polish ahead controlled to divert Raphinha’s go house on the loss of life to tug Barcelona degree on 31 issues with Actual Madrid on the most sensible of the desk, sooner than the champions host Girona on Sunday.

It was once a hard-fought win — the Catalans misplaced centre-backs Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia to damage, and they’re going to be worries for his or her nationwide groups, France and Spain respectively, forward of the Qatar International Cup which begins in underneath 3 weeks.

Valencia noticed Uruguayan Edinson Cavani move off injured with an ankle drawback too, with the sport billed as a shoot-out between him and fellow veteran marksman Lewandowski, who got here out on most sensible along with his past due objective.

“It was once no longer sensible soccer, these days we weren’t impressed,” mentioned Xavi.

“The anxiousness of this week weighed on us, Valencia defended really well. Those are 3 important issues.

“I’m satisfied for the win, it was once deserved, and every victory is widely known, and while you don’t win, the alarms sound, it’s standard, it is a large membership.”

Gennaro Gattuso mentioned he and Barcelona counterpart Xavi Hernandez performed virtually other sports activities of their enjoying days, however their groups have been lightly matched at a feisty Mestalla.

The guests had the higher hand from the beginning, even if Valencia’s difficult ahead line brought about them fear on the again, with Samuel Lino and Justin Kluivert in particular challenging to take care of.

Ansu Fati will have to have opened the scoring when arrange by way of a wonderfully timed Pedri go, however onrushing Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stored the ahead’s tried dink along with his face.

Frenkie de Jong hammered an effort broad from distance, whilst Fati, on an extraordinary get started, may just no longer direct a header from Ousmane Dembele’s go low sufficient to motive issues.

Valencia concept that they had damaged the impasse early in the second one part when Lino slid house however Marcos Andre hand treated a go into his trail and the objective was once disallowed.

– Past due winner –

Barcelona can have received the fit with 5 mins last however change Torres fluffed his strains in entrance of objective, kicking the ball in opposition to his different leg when he simplest had the goalkeeper to overcome.

Thankfully for him, grasp finisher Lewandowski spared his blushes with a objective when Barcelona wanted it maximum.

“While you play groups like Barcelona you’ll’t make any errors,” Gattuso informed DAZN.

“We need to proceed, we need to take a look at our mentality, however the staff is alive. We need to talk little and paintings so much.”

Valencia have received simply one in all their ultimate six fits and are tenth in Los angeles Liga.

Previous Ruben Sobrino bundled house a dramatic ultimate gasp winner to earn Cadiz a outstanding 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid, piling the distress at the guests in a harrowing week for Diego Simeone’s staff.

It appeared like Joao Felix had salvaged the Rojiblancos some degree from two objectives down, with a surprising affect off the bench, forcing an personal objective and scoring some other effort himself, stemming the bleeding after their Champions League removing on Wednesday.

“It’s all studying, you all the time continue to learn, there’s no time no longer to be told,” mentioned Simeone.

“We need to stay going mentally, it sort of feels love it’s all going to finish the following day, and there’s an extended technique to move in Los angeles Liga, we will get into the Europa League, so let’s have some calm.

“Despite the fact that the success that you simply all the time want on this recreation isn’t favouring us.”

Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla, seventeenth, fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at house in opposition to Rayo Vallecano, whilst Almeria beat Celta Vigo 3-1.