In a thrilling display at Camp Nou, FC Barcelona clinched a 4-2 win against Valencia, marking a significant triumph in the 33rd round of Spain’s La Liga. The star of the match, Polish captain Robert Lewandowski, stole the spotlight with his first La Liga hat-trick, demonstrating his critical role in the team’s success.
The match began on a challenging note for Barcelona, trailing 1-2 at halftime. Valencia initially took the lead, but their advantage was compromised shortly after their goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty area, following a video review.
Barcelona turned the game around in the second half. Lewandowski equalized shortly after the break with a powerful header, served perfectly by Ilkay Gundogan’s corner kick. Despite several attempts and saves, it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Lewandowski, again using his head, converted another corner into a goal.
The climax came in stoppage time when the 35-year-old striker completed his hat-trick with a stunning free-kick, sealing the game at 4-2. This hat-trick brings Lewandowski’s tally to 16 goals this season, trailing behind Girona’s Artem Dovbyk, who leads with 19.
Lewandowski’s achievement places him as the second Pole, after Jan Urban in 1990/91, to score a hat-trick in a La Liga match. Meanwhile, Barcelona remains second in the league standings, 11 points behind the leaders Real Madrid, as the season approaches its final five matches.