Despite numerous absences and a packed Mestalla with 46,673 spectators, Barcelona managed to claim a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Valencia in Hansi Flick's first La Liga match. The 59-year-old German coach relied heavily on the youth from Barcelona's academy, fielding four debutants and three starting teenagers, in a match decided by goals from the ever-reliable Robert Lewandowski.
Flick faced several absences, including De Jong, Gavi, Araujo, Ansu Fati, and Gundogan, with Dani Olmo still not registered. This situation forced the coach to turn to the young talents: Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsì, and Marc Bernal, all born in 2007, started the match, while Marc Casadó, at 20 years old, anchored the midfield.
Valencia, on the other hand, fielded a very young defense and a Georgian goalkeeper, Mamardashvili, who has been the subject of transfer rumors but still held his place between the posts. The first half saw Barcelona struggling, with Valencia taking the lead in the 44th minute through a header by Hugo Duro, assisted by Diego Lopez. However, the VAR confirmed the legitimacy of the goal, leaving the Catalans trailing until injury time, when Lewandowski found the equalizer with a tap-in from a Lamine Yamal cross.
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In the second half, Barça capitalized quickly on a mistake by the young Mosquera, who conceded a penalty that Lewandowski converted just 190 seconds into the half. Despite a more controlled second half, marked by the introduction of two more debutants, Gerard Martin for Barcelona and 16-year-old Otorbi for Valencia, the Blaugrana managed to fend off Valencia's final assaults, securing three valuable points for both morale and the standings.
