Valencia mounted a thrilling comeback, scoring two goals within five minutes of the second half to secure a 3-1 victory over LaLiga champions Barcelona. However, this win was insufficient for them to qualify for European competition on the final day of the season.
Robert Lewandowski capped his last appearance for Barcelona with a goal, putting the champions ahead shortly after the hour mark.
Just five minutes later, Javi Guerra equalized for Valencia with a well-timed finish, and four minutes later, they took the lead.
After some clever play from Jesús Vázquez, Guerra’s shot was blocked, but the ball fell to Luis Rioja, who expertly finished with a left-footed shot past Wojciech Szczesny.
Valencia believed they had won a penalty when Marc Bernal fouled Vázquez, but a VAR review confirmed the foul took place outside the penalty area.
The third goal for Valencia came in stoppage time when Guido Rodríguez scored from outside the box.
Although Valencia secured the three points, wins by Getafe against Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano over Alaves meant they missed out on European qualification.
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Before kickoff, Valencia fans protested, urging owner Peter Lim to leave the club, but they were likely uplifted by the team’s performance as they fought for a chance at European football.
Early in the match, Hugo Duro, Rioja, and Unai Núñez all missed early opportunities, while Diego López sent a shot wide. A crucial block from Ronald Araújo denied López again just before halftime.
Alejandro Balde came close for Barcelona, and Lewandowski rattled the post with a header late in the first half, but Valencia also threatened with a shot from Núñez requiring a strong save from Szczesny.
In a setback for Valencia, López had to be substituted early in the second half due to what looked like a serious knee injury.
Barcelona took the lead shortly after the hour when Lewandowski redirected Ferran Torres’ volley into the net for his 119th goal in four seasons with the club.
Valencia appealed for a penalty when Núñez was brought down, but their claims were dismissed. Just two minutes later, Guerra found the equalizer with a skillful shot from the edge of the box that beat Szczesny. Before Barcelona could regroup, Guerra assisted Rioja, who capitalized on a rebound to put Valencia ahead.
Despite VAR denying Valencia a penalty that might have secured their win sooner, goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski made stellar saves to keep Valencia ahead, and Rodríguez sealed the match with a late strike.