In a highly anticipated match, Barcelona faced off against Valencia in Mestalla for matchday 17 of Spanish football. The first half ended in a goalless draw, with Lewandowski having the clearest chances for Barcelona but not being able to convert. With 40 minutes played, both teams were still deadlocked at 0-0. Despite Lewandowski’s attempts, including a scissor kick that was saved by the Valencia goalkeeper, Barcelona was unable to generate any dangerous opportunities in the first 15 minutes of the game.
For this match, Barcelona’s lineup included Iñaki Peña in goal due to Ter Stegen’s injury, with Pedri, Gundogan, and De Jong in the midfield and Joao, Raphinha, and Lewandowski up top. On the other hand, Valencia’s lineup featured Mamardashvili in goal, with Thierry, Diakhaby, Mosquera, and Vazquez in defense, Pepper, Hugo Gonzalez, and Fran Perez in midfield, and Yaremchuk, Diego Lopez, and Hugo Duro in the attack.
With both teams struggling to break the deadlock, the match promised to be an exciting battle. The location for the match was Mestalla, with Ortiz Arias serving as the referee. With tensions running high and the score still level, all eyes were on the second half to see if either team could find the breakthrough.