La Liga Week 35: Barcelona - Valencia

Messi ( p.k. ) 1-0
Some truly abject defending from Valencia - and some fine attacking from Barcelona - saw the visitors leave Camp Nou with an utter rout on their conscience.

It was a cathartic display from the blaugrana. They came into this match off the back of 405 minutes without a goal, but rectified the situation within two, and scarcely let go from there. Too little, too late? Undoubtedly, but it was encouraging stuff nonetheless.

First Half

Barcelona started well as Valencia were instantly pressed onto the back foot, and this resulted in the opening goal after just four minutes.

Messi seized a poor pass from Los Che and strode forward through the centre of defence, only to be hacked down by Alexis right on the edge of the box. Referee Undiano Mallecano awarded the penalty, but declined to show a red card. In any case, Messi stroked home the penalty to put his side 1-0 up.

Things were only to get better from there for home coach Frank Rijkaard, for Messi - who almost looked back to his old self - almost immediately teed up Henry with a fine switched ball. The Frenchman could do little with it: a deflected ball returned to Messi, who in turn teed up Xavi for a wonderfully accurate drive past Hildebrand from the edge of the area.

Villa gave Valencia a rare glimpse of hope with a long-ranger that tested Valdés, but in fact Barça were still on the warpath. Eto'o played a through ball to Henry - who was perhaps just offside - who strode through and made no mistake with the finish.

Knowing the job was done, the blaugrana began to slow down a bit - for the time being, at least. There was a brief moment of excitement when Carlos Marchena appeared to thwack the ball off the supine Samuel Eto'o, but although a scuffle threatened to break out among the bystanding players, order was almost instantly restored.

Valencia's back four - Three? five? It was hard to tell sometimes - was still struggling, though, and Hildebrand had to be at his best to keep Henry out on the half hour mark.

Messi and the luckless Eto'o both came close as the 40 minute mark approached, and indeed it should have been 4-0 just after. Deco re-played a corner to the far post where Messi was completely, totally unmarked, but somehow haeded wide.

Second Half

Valencia boss Voro brought on Edu for Baraja in an attempt to gain a bit of ground in midfield, but it did little as Barça were first to threaten through Henry.

Albelda then came on for Caneira as Valencia rolled the dice again, but within seconds of the erstwhile captain's comeback arrival, Barcelona were 4-0 up. It was a lovely goal from Thierry Henry, and no dobut the sort of thing the club hierarchy envisaged when they signed him. Drifting in from the left after being given the ball by Messi, and curved a delightful, teasing effort in past Hildebrand's far post.

On came Bojan for Eto'o as Barcelona regained their absolute dominance in the attack. Valencia were beginning to see more of the ball, but they could do little with it, and when they lost it it proved disastrous.

This was proved through Bojan within eight minutes of his arrival. A wonderful team move saw Henry tenaciously hold the ball on the left before squaring to Deco, who indeed relived his happier days by timing a superb through ball to the onrushing Bojan, who slotted home beautifully.

Six minutes later Bojan got his second after substitute Gudjohnsen again squared for Bojan, this time for a simple, unopposed finish as a legion of white shirts looked on.

Angulo had the ball in the net at the other end but was ruled offside, while Barça clearly felt six was enough.

Regardless of the margin of victory, though, many blaugrana fans will still regard it as too little, too late.