Barcelona delivered a dominant 7-1 victory over Valencia in their La Liga match, boosting their hopes of catching league leaders Real Madrid. The win brings Barcelona within seven points of the top spot as they continue their title chase. However, the post-match discussions were overshadowed by controversial comments from club legend Carles Puyol.
Puyol stirred up a storm with his remark, claiming, “After what I saw from Barcelona against Valencia, I can confirm that this catastrophic player cost Barcelona the La Liga title that was within reach.” He was referring to Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. Puyol criticized coach Hansi Flick for relying on Lewandowski in previous matches, stating that the former Bayern Munich striker had squandered numerous scoring opportunities, leading to Barcelona dropping valuable points.
Puyol further emphasized that Barcelona looked much more dynamic and potent in attack after Lewandowski was benched for the Valencia game. He noted the clear improvement in the team’s offensive pressure and suggested that Flick should acknowledge his mistake in trusting Lewandowski, who, according to Puyol, has negatively impacted Barcelona’s campaign this season.
As Barcelona pushes forward in their title pursuit, questions linger about Lewandowski’s place in the starting lineup, particularly with Puyol’s belief that the team functions better without him.
