Robert Lewandowski scored two crucial goals in Barcelona’s victory over Valencia in a thrilling Spanish league match, marking coach Hansi Flick’s debut in La Liga. Barcelona secured a 2-1 win against Valencia, with Lewandowski delivering a goal just before halftime and another early in the second half.

Flick, who took over from Xavi Hernández, expressed the significance of starting his tenure with a win, acknowledging his team’s improvement in the second half after some initial mistakes. Valencia opened the scoring with a header by Hugo Duro, but Barcelona swiftly responded with goals by Lewandowski in added time of the first half and shortly after the second half began.

Despite Duro’s initial disallowed offside goal, video review confirmed its validity. Lewandowski’s first goal was assisted by Lamine Yamal, who faced a personal tragedy when his father was stabbed earlier in the week. The Polish striker extended Barcelona’s lead by converting a penalty kick, emphasizing the importance of a confident start to the season.

Flick gave opportunities to emerging talents from Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, with Gerard Martín and Marc Bernal making their first-team debuts. However, Barcelona faced a setback as defender Alejandro Balde had to be replaced due to a suspected muscle injury. Financial struggles continue to loom over Barcelona, which finished as runners-up last season to Real Madrid, who kicks off their league campaign against Mallorca on Sunday.

In another game, Leganes made a solid return to the top flight with a 1-1 draw against Osasuna. Juan Cruz put Leganes ahead in the 22nd minute, but a late own goal by Juan Soriano leveled the score. After spending four seasons in the lower divisions, Leganes earned promotion back to La Liga. The club, owned by former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow through Blue Crow Sports Group, has a diversified ownership group from the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Canada.