Robert Lewandowski showcased his prowess in La Liga with his first hat-trick for Barcelona, leading them to a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory over ten-man Valencia in Montjuic.
Fermin’s header initially put Valencia ahead on 22 minutes, but Hugo Duro quickly equalized for Barcelona after capitalizing on a mistake by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Pepelu then gave Valencia the lead from the penalty spot before halftime.
The match took a turn when Valencia’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was sent off for handling the ball outside the box, forcing them to play the entire second half with a substitute goalkeeper.
Lewandowski seized the opportunity, heading in an equalizer early in the second half and then scoring his second goal from another header late in the game, putting Barcelona ahead.
Valencia struggled to contain Barcelona’s set-piece threat, and Lewandowski capitalized once again, completing his hat-trick with a well-placed header off Ilkay Gundogan’s delivery.
The victory propels Barcelona into second place, overtaking Girona, setting up a crucial clash between the two teams as they vie for the final Supercopa spot.