The most earthly version of Barça also knows how to win

Special envoy to ValenciaHansi Flick's Barça also knows how to suffer. In his third season in charge, the German coach has turned a tight-knit group of players who love and defend the badge as if their lives depended on every match into a team that never tires of winning, even when things get complicated, as has happened at the Ciutat de València. There is no small opponent, no road trip or schedule that is a chore. There are no excuses: only hunger and a desire to win and score goals. One after another. In the last three matches, the Blaugrana side has opened the scoring in less than five minutes. A Levante side driven by fans who never tired of cheering reminded the Blaugranes that sometimes you also have to suffer. A wonder goal by Karim Adeyemi, already in stoppage time, served to seal the fifth victory (2-4) in five matchdays when Barça was having its toughest time.

Levante's home ground was the stage for a new start of Blaugrana rock'n'roll, but an afternoon that began calmly for the Blaugranes ended up becoming the most demanding duel so far. Levante, driven by fans who did not lower their arms, quite the opposite, waving scarves and spurring their team on after every slap in the form of a Barça goal, did not lose heart at any point despite having conceded 0-2 in twenty minutes.

The first goal came from the latest player promoted by Flick: Xavi Espart returned to the eleven – he has been a starter in all League matches. While Balde lives in absolute ostracism and Cancelo starts as a substitute, Espart made his debut as a goalscorer in a bittersweet afternoon because he also ended up giving away a goal in the final stages.

Before the match became complicated, the Catalan full-back would find the net. Espart is a full-back with the soul of a midfielder. He loves to go inside, associate with his teammates – in the lower categories of the Spanish national team he plays as a pivot – and, also, pop up in the penalty area. This is how the first goal arrived: a layoff from Raphinha at the edge of the area and a soft but precise shot to the post by the La Masia player to begin the path to a new victory that would end up being hard-fought.

The Blaugranes score 0-2 in twenty minutes

The Blaugrana onslaught, against a Levante side that was forced to take a step forward with the scoreline against them so early, continued with the second goal. This time, it was on the counterattack. A long ball from Fermín looking for Raphinha's run, a poor clearance by Dela, who failed to properly cut off the ball, and an exhibition by the Brazilian. With almost no angle, he sent the ball through Ryan's legs to find Lamine Yamal arriving in the heart of the area. The winger from Rocafonda put the ball into the back of the net, thus chaining his fourth consecutive game scoring.

It seemed that the duel would head towards another walk in the park for the Blaugrana, but the match began to get messy after the 0-2. First due to Levante's aggression, and later, because Barça lost control of the game against a Levante that knew how to show pride. The Catalan side complained about a very clear elbow from Víctor García to Gerard Martín, who had to change his shorts, stained with blood, after the hemorrhage caused by the blow he took to the face. Neither the debutant, the Basque referee Jon Ander González Esteban, who was in front of the action, nor the Galician Javier Iglesias Villanueva from the VAR room considered it punishable. Espart, with a blow to the pit of his stomach to save a goal from a Víctor García shot, and Eric Garcia, with another blow to the face after being sandwiched by two rival players, were the other Blaugranes damaged by the hardness of a local team that knew how to pressure the Blaugranes.

Levante complicates life for Barça

Levante will have the honor of being the team that has made life most difficult for Barça. The Blaugrana ended up losing clarity in their ball exit – the high grass at the Ciutat de València didn't help the passing rhythm either – and the hosts believed in themselves, pushing up their lines and making Gerard Martín suffer, who received a yellow card and would end up being substituted for Christensen at halftime. Until the break, the Blaugrana saw their usual offensive exuberance reduced – Fermín and Gordon were unable to get into the game – but, helped by Rodri's good defensive work, they reached halftime with a comfortable lead on the scoreboard.

The second half started well. Very early on, Lamine Yamal was the subject of a clear penalty. Raphinha, generous, gave it to him and the Blaugrana number 10 did not forgive. Once again, Levante knew how to recover. The Valencians managed to pose a very uncomfortable second half for Barça. Brugui, with a shot over the crossbar, was the first to threaten Joan's goal. The Blaugrana were not clicking, fatigue was beginning to show against the local push and their fans – it had been months since Levante had lost a match at the Ciutat de València – and the problems arrived. First, Christensen saved a shot from Ivan Romero, who had just entered the pitch, off the goal line, and in the final minutes, the suffering arrived.

To manage the fatigue, Flick removed Lamine Yamal, who was grimacing, Pedri, and a quiet Gordon from the pitch. The changes, with the exception of Adeyemi, did not improve the face of a Barça side that ended up suffering for the first time this season. Ten minutes from the end, Romero took it upon himself to give hope to his team after taking advantage of a bad back pass from Espart towards Christensen, in which the Dane was left blocked. The problems for the Blaugrana did not end there because Brugui scored the second with two minutes left in regulation time. The Ciutat de València roared and Barça suffered until Adeyemi, on the counterattack and after a great individual play, sealed the victory with a stunning goal.