Valencia vs. Barcelona: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
They left it incredibly late, but Barcelona beat Valencia 1-0 at the Mestalla to stay two points behind Real Madrid in La Liga.
Sergio Busquets was the unlikely last-gasp hero, as he powered home the winner with the final kick of the game after Diego Alves had saved a header from Neymar.
Barca would have been ahead earlier were it not for an incorrect offside decision to rule out what would have been Luis Suarez's first La Liga goal, but they ultimately took the points from an entertaining clash against the fourth-placed hosts.
Here are some winners and losers from the clash.
Winner: Sergio Busquets
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The setup of this Barcelona side might have been all wrongโsomething which weโll come to nextโbut the fact of the matter is that when you score a last-second winner you deserve to be heralded.
Sergio Busquets was that man, as the midfielderโs first La Liga goal in 14 months settled a hugely entertaining game which looked as though it was going to end in a stalemate until the midfielderโs late intervention.
This has the hallmark of the sort of match you look back on at the end of the season and see as a big victory, and Busquets will certainly hope thatโs the case.
Loser: The Mascherano-Busquets-Xavi Midfield
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All three of the players mentioned above are excellent footballers clearly, but Luis Enriqueโs decision to select two โpivotsโ in Javier Mascherano and Busquets made this a somewhat surprising Barca setup and one that didnโt really work.
Time and again in the first period Barca got into promising positions only to find that they lacked one of their usual technicians to unlock the Valencia door. Of course they have Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, but the service behind them wasnโt great.
It all led to a very un-Barcelona-like performance from the visitors for three-quarters of the game until Ivan Rakitic came on and improved their creativity.
You canโt imagine Enrique being in a rush to line up like this again.
Winner: Claudio Bravo
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The Barcelona goalkeeper certainly has the right surname with which to herald his display, and although he wasnโt overworked here he was still tested by an impressive Valencia side who saw what was probably a deserved point snatched away from them at the death.
That could have been three points were it not for Bravoโs fine late stop from a fierce Alvaro Negredo drive, and the authority that the goalkeeper displayed when playing behind a defence which wasnโt exactly dealing with set pieces well was a key element behind the visitors keeping a clean sheet.
Loser: The Unlucky Luis Suarez
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This wasnโt quite โLiverpool at Selhurst Park last Mayโ levels, but the frustration shown by Luis Suarez here was clear for all to see.
The Uruguayan was desperately unfortunate to see his 70th-minute strike chalked off when he was quite clearly onside from Dani Alvesโ centre, but the fact of the matter is that he really should have had two goals to his name before that.
The chance he missed in the first half when he fired straight at Diego Alves looked easier to score, while the one he snatched at after beating Alves to the ball in the second half really wasnโt like him at all.
Perhaps Luis Enrique needs to select him for the cup fixture with Segunda side Huesca in midweek in the hope that heโll bring his scoring boots?
Winner: Alvaro Negredo
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That Alvaro Negredo ended up on the losing side was a shame following an industrious performance which was hugely appreciated by the home fans at the Mestalla.
Following a difficult few months due to a loss of form and injuries, hopefully the forward can find a home at Valencia and try and get back to the player we saw very briefly light up English football with Manchester City last season.
This felt like an early step on the road to him rediscovering himself, and he was unlucky not to score.
Loser: Nicolas Otamendi
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You can argue about โthe letter of the lawโ in relation to the moment that Neymar jerked his head in the direction of Nicolas Otamendi in the 19th minute, but the reaction of the Argentinean defenderโwho otherwise had a great gameโwas absolutely laughable and should be punished much more than any potential headbutt.
Otamendi dramatically fell to the ground and clutched his face as though Neymar had committed some sort of assault on him, and you have to wonder just what those who were crying for the Brazilian to be sent off are thinking about the modern game.
Yes, thereโs โthe letter of the law,โ but thereโs also sheer common sense. Otamendi is the only one who deserves punishment.
