Barcelona strengthened their grip on the La Liga title by securing a 2-1 comeback victory against already-relegated Real Valladolid on Saturday, extending their lead to seven points over Real Madrid. The win came despite heavy rotation from coach Hansi Flick, who prioritised Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring second-half goals to overturn Ivan Sanchez's early opener.
Barcelona made nine changes to their starting lineup from Wednesday's 3-3 Champions League draw with Inter Milan, with only Pedri and Gerard Martin retained.
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Marc-Andre ter Stegen returned to the Barcelona goal for his first appearance since September after recovering from injury.
"He showed how good he is, how he can perform and it's good to see that," said Flick, who confirmed Wojciech Szczesny would return for the Inter match and next weekend's Clasico against Real Madrid.
"I was really looking forward to playing this game and it's always better with a win for the team," Ter Stegen told DAZN.
The hosts took an early lead when Martin's shot deflected off Ronald Araujo and looped past Ter Stegen after just six minutes.
Valladolid fans expressed their displeasure with majority owner and president Ronaldo by throwing fake banknotes bearing his face and chanting for his departure.
The first half saw chances for both sides, with Valladolid keeper Andre Ferreira denying Pau Victor and Ansu Fati, while Ter Stegen made an important save from Raul Moro.
Barcelona debutant Dani Rodriguez was forced off with a shoulder injury, leading to the introduction of 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who had impressed against Inter midweek.
Yamal contributed to Barcelona's equalizer, with his cross being parried by Ferreira before Raphinha collected the loose ball to score his 16th league goal of the season.
Lopez then secured the victory by converting Martin's cross from inside the area, with Araujo making a crucial late intervention to preserve the win.
"When you make nine changes in the line-up, it's not easy for these guys who came in," Flick said. "In the end I'm satisfied with three more points and we gave some players less minutes, and this is good for me."
In other La Liga action, Atletico Madrid played out a goalless draw at struggling Alaves, maintaining their hold on third place with Champions League qualification virtually secured.
Alaves moved to 16th position, three points clear of the relegation zone following the valuable point against Atletico.
The match saw few clear opportunities, with Atletico's first shot on target coming from Lino with 20 minutes remaining, while Jan Oblak made an impressive save to deny Kike Garcia.
"Neither side could get the upper hand... the game was played in the middle of the pitch without any danger," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
Villarreal strengthened their Champions League qualification hopes with a 4-2 victory over Osasuna, featuring two goals from Ayoze Perez.
The win put Villarreal in fifth place, four points ahead of Real Betis, who face Espanyol on Sunday.
Barcelona made nine changes to their starting lineup from Wednesday's 3-3 Champions League draw with Inter Milan, with only Pedri and Gerard Martin retained.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen returned to the Barcelona goal for his first appearance since September after recovering from injury.
💎🌪️ Lamine Yamal es ÚNICO.#LALIGAHighlights | #DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/wdwlzl9nzo
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) May 3, 2025
"He showed how good he is, how he can perform and it's good to see that," said Flick, who confirmed Wojciech Szczesny would return for the Inter match and next weekend's Clasico against Real Madrid.
"I was really looking forward to playing this game and it's always better with a win for the team," Ter Stegen told DAZN.
The hosts took an early lead when Martin's shot deflected off Ronald Araujo and looped past Ter Stegen after just six minutes.
Valladolid fans expressed their displeasure with majority owner and president Ronaldo by throwing fake banknotes bearing his face and chanting for his departure.
💙❤️ ¡Remonta el @FCBarcelona_es!#LALIGAHighlights | #DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/WuYcefgbc7
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) May 3, 2025
The first half saw chances for both sides, with Valladolid keeper Andre Ferreira denying Pau Victor and Ansu Fati, while Ter Stegen made an important save from Raul Moro.
Barcelona debutant Dani Rodriguez was forced off with a shoulder injury, leading to the introduction of 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who had impressed against Inter midweek.
Yamal contributed to Barcelona's equalizer, with his cross being parried by Ferreira before Raphinha collected the loose ball to score his 16th league goal of the season.
Lopez then secured the victory by converting Martin's cross from inside the area, with Araujo making a crucial late intervention to preserve the win.
"When you make nine changes in the line-up, it's not easy for these guys who came in," Flick said. "In the end I'm satisfied with three more points and we gave some players less minutes, and this is good for me."
In other La Liga action, Atletico Madrid played out a goalless draw at struggling Alaves, maintaining their hold on third place with Champions League qualification virtually secured.
Draw in Vitoria. pic.twitter.com/DQqKqiE5xe
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) May 3, 2025
Alaves moved to 16th position, three points clear of the relegation zone following the valuable point against Atletico.
The match saw few clear opportunities, with Atletico's first shot on target coming from Lino with 20 minutes remaining, while Jan Oblak made an impressive save to deny Kike Garcia.
"Neither side could get the upper hand... the game was played in the middle of the pitch without any danger," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
FINAL #VillarrealOsasuna 4-2
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) May 3, 2025
💛 ¡Gran victoria del @VillarrealCF en el Estadio de la Cerámica!#DesenlaceLALIGA | #LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/6OPEgPenIV
Villarreal strengthened their Champions League qualification hopes with a 4-2 victory over Osasuna, featuring two goals from Ayoze Perez.
The win put Villarreal in fifth place, four points ahead of Real Betis, who face Espanyol on Sunday.
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