Barcelona were made to sweat but eventually overcame bottom-placed Real Valladolid 2-1, keeping their title push intact ahead of next week’s El Clásico showdown.
Ivan Sanchez gave the already-doomed hosts a dream start, his deflected effort wrong-footing Marc-André ter Stegen just six minutes into the keeper’s return. Raúl Moro and Pau Víctor then tested the German again as Valladolid punched well above their weight early on.
Hansi Flick’s rotated XI included a debut for Dani Rodríguez, who showed glimpses of quality before a shoulder injury ended his night prematurely. With Barcelona struggling to break through, second-half changes brought fresh energy.
Raphinha fired home after controlling a punched clearance from goalkeeper André Ferreira, and within minutes, Fermín López struck a crisp finish from Gerard Martin’s delivery to complete the turnaround.
Late efforts from Héctor Fort and Lamine Yamal nearly added gloss, but Ferreira and the woodwork kept the scoreline respectable.
Victory leaves Barcelona four points clear at the summit—at least temporarily—while Valladolid’s misery deepens with a record-setting eighth straight defeat.
