Hansi Flick's five-goal hauls: a Catalan party under the scorching "Mestalla sun"
Flick's men enjoy a stroll
Barcelona ran riot at the Mestalla, thrashing Valencia 5-0 to move top of La Liga on their own and send out a warning before their Champions League campaign gets underway.
Hansi Flick named his strongest side. Pedri got the chance to start alongside Rodri for the first time, Lamine Yamal began the match, and Xavi Espart filled in at left-back. All of it played out against a hostile backdrop, with Valencia fans furious at the team's results and situation.
From the first whistle Barcelona took control, dominating possession and threading the ball between the lines with real confidence. The understanding between Pedri and Rodri showed almost straight away.
Fermin Lopez carved out a dangerous chance for Lamine Yamal, and the youngster produced a moment of brilliant individual skill to open the scoring in style. He found the net again minutes later, only to see it chalked off for offside.
The disallowed goal did nothing to slow them down. Barcelona turned their superiority into a second through Fermin Lopez, who kept tormenting the Valencia backline, and both Lamine and Fermin came close to a third before the break.
Eric Garcia suffered a facial injury that forced him off before the half-hour mark, with Jules Kounde coming on in his place.
After the restart the pattern held. The third arrived when Rodri won the ball and sparked a counter-attack, Fermin sliding a pass to Raphinha inside the box, the Brazilian adding to his impressive tally this season.
Flick freshened things up with a raft of changes. He rested Rodri and sent on Christensen for Cubarsi, then introduced Ademi to inject pace into the attack. Dani Olmo replaced Fermin, who left to a warm ovation from the Mestalla after an outstanding shift.
Olmo teed up the fourth for Pedri, who then departed to applause of his own, while Gabriel Jesus made his first appearance in a Barcelona shirt off the bench.
Lamine Yamal rounded off the rout in the closing minutes, latching onto a brilliant Olmo burst to make it five. Barcelona left the Mestalla with a crushing win and a commanding display, proof that even without some of their out-and-out forwards, this side has become sharper and more dangerous in the final third.
