FC Barcelona secured three vital, hard-fought La Liga points on the road, overcoming already-relegated Real Valladolid 2-1 in a match that proved trickier than anticipated and forced head coach Hansi Flick to adjust his plans ahead of the crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter Milan.

The victory temporarily extends Barcelona’s lead atop the La Liga table to seven points over rivals Real Madrid, although Los Blancos have a game in hand. Despite facing the bottom-placed team, Flick’s heavily rotated side showed resilience after an early scare threatened to derail their title charge.

With the massive European clash in Milan looming on Tuesday, May 6th, Flick made nine changes from the side that drew 3-3 in the first leg (presumably against Inter). This included a significant milestone: captain Marc Andre ter Stegen made his first start of 2025 after injury, returning between the posts.

However, the plan for a comfortable afternoon allowing key players rest was disrupted early on. Ivan Sanchez fired the hosts into a shock lead, forcing Barcelona to dig deep. The initial struggles of the much-changed lineup prompted Flick to act. Lamine Yamal was introduced before the break, and Raphinha entered the fray at halftime.

The substitutions proved decisive. Raphinha brought Barcelona level, slotting home a crucial equaliser. The momentum shifted, and young midfielder Fermin Lopez stepped up to score the winning goal, ensuring Flick’s gamble on rotation ultimately paid off, albeit with more difficulty than desired.

Post-match, Flick conceded that Valladolid’s determined performance forced his hand regarding player minutes, with the upcoming Inter clash clearly influencing his initial strategy.

“I planned for Pedri and De Jong to play just 45 minutes each. But, I would have also liked Raphinha and Lamine to play fewer minutes,” Flick stated, as quoted by Marca. The need to bring on and keep key attackers like Raphinha and Yamal on the pitch for longer highlighted how the relegated side pushed Barcelona harder than expected.

Despite the altered plans and acknowledging some errors, Flick backed his squad, particularly the players given a chance in the rotated lineup. “I’m not disappointed in anyone,” he affirmed. “We made nine changes, they’re young, I believe in them.”

He added, “It wasn’t easy. There were some mistakes, quick transitions, but Araujo and Christensen had good games, as did Ter Stegen.”

With the Valladolid hurdle cleared, albeit with more exertion than planned for some key figures, all attention now shifts completely to the San Siro for Tuesday night’s Champions League decider against Inter Milan.