Barcelona 3-1 Valencia: 5 hits and flops as Ansu Fati stars in Sergio Aguero's highly anticipated club debut | La Liga 2021-22
Barcelona came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 at Camp Nou in La Liga as Sergio Aguero made his long-awaited debut for the club. Goals from Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay and Philippe Coutinho helped the side cancel out Jose Gaya's fifth-minute opener for the Bats.
Gaya volleyed home from 22 yards out to put the visitors in front after the Blaugrana failed to clear their lines, but Fati equalised just seven minutes later. Gaya then conceded a penalty after catching Fati. and Depay clinically slotted home a fearsome strike to turn the tie around.
Following an entertaining first half, the match lost steam in the second period, but Coutinho came off the bench to add a third goal in the 85th minute.
HIGHLIGHTS | @FCBarcelona come from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 at the Camp Nou. 🔵🔴
🎬 #BarçaValencia https://t.co/4cogSJ2bKi
Aguero came on just minutes later, marking his return to action after several months out with injury. With time running out, he offered nothing, but the Argentine will surely boost Barcelona's attacking options going forward.
Barcelona picked up their second league victory in six games, and now take on Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday in the Champions League. On that note, here are the hits and flops from either team in the match:
Hit: Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
Despite missing out for almost a year due to injury, Ansu Fati now has two goals in three games this season for Barcelona. His emphatic finish on the night was special, setting Barcelona on their way to an encouraging comeback win.
The 18-year-old, following some good work down the left, exchanged passes with Depay. Fati then thumped home a 22-yard stunner beyond Jasper Cillessen to bring Barcelona level in the match.
Since February 2020, Ansu Fati has scored 11 goals from 16 shots on target. https://t.co/vnLMfhHdH4
Fati, who faced nearly a year out with a serious knee injury, scored on his return against Levante last month. After drawing a blank in the defeat to Atletico Madrid, he has now found the net again, demonstrating his devastating finishing skills.
Flop: Daniel Wass (Valencia)
An important reason why Valencia never built on their quick start was their failure to control the midfield. Among the culprits was Daniel Wass, who was almost non-existent in the match.
The 32-year-old Dane didn't offer too much in midfield, and looked well off the pace too. In fact, he was dribbled past five times in the game. He moved to right-back at some point after the break. But he fared worse there, struggling to deal with incoming threats and conceding possession a few times.