La Liga: Aubameyang scores a hatrick as Barcelona trash Valencia to enter top four
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his first Barcelona goals as they extended their unbeaten run in La Liga to nine matches with victory at Valencia.
Aubameyang, who joined from Arsenal for free on 2 February, was making his first start in La Liga.
Barcelona were the much better side in the opening exchanges, and were nearly rewarded for their dominance in the 19th minute. After some neat play on the edge of the box, the ball was fed through to Ferran Torres on the right of the penalty area.
The new signing’s subsequent drilled cross across the six-yard box, however, was just out of the reach of Aubameyang.
Three minutes later Aubameyang got his goal – and it was a beauty. The former Arsenal man latched onto a brilliant long pass from Jordi Alba before rifling the ball emphatically into the top left corner of the net.
The dominance continued thereafter and on the half-hour mark it was 2-0. The goal came following some wonderful play around the box which resulted in Alba (again) lifting the ball over the top of the Valencia defence and into the path of Ousmane Dembele. The French international was then able to cooly slide it across goal to Frenkie de Jong, who made no mistake to bag his third La Liga strike of the season.
Aubameyang was able to make it 3-0 before half-time, with La Blaugrana ripping a completely, utterly, undeniably, hopeless Valencia team apart. The goal was very similar to De Jong’s, with a ball being played across the six-yard box and tapped into the net – this time, however, it was Gavi doing the creating and Auba doing the goalscoring.
Carlos Soler pulled one back before Pedri curled home superbly from range, thrusting a diving header in after half-time but Pedri’s whipped effort ended any hope of a comeback
Substitute Pedri’s strike may yet be given as an Aubameyang goal, that would secure his hat-trick because the ball flicked off the Gabon international’s back on its way to the net.
Valencia finally woke up at the start of the second half, and clawed their way back into the game courtesy of a brilliant headed goal from Soler.
They weren’t back in the match for long though, as substitute Pedri came off the bench and immediately cannoned the ball off Auba’s back and into the net from about 25-yards out. Pedri was initially awarded the goal, but it was later given to the former Arsenal man.
The home side did create a few chances after that as Barcelona took their foot off the gas, but they just did not have the quality to carve the opposition defence open.
Barca manager Xavi will be thrilled with his side’s efficiency as they extended their unbeaten run in the league, which now stretches back to 4 December.
Valencia have now gone seven games without a win in the league as Barcelona enter the top four once again.
